tibrarp  of  trhe  'theological  ^etninarp 

PRINCETON  •  NEW  JERSEY 


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PRESENTED  BY 

John  Stuart  Conning,  D.D. 

DS  107.3  . G6  1919 

Gordon,  Benjamin  Lee,  1875- 

New  Judea 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2019  with  funding  from 
Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Library 


https://archive.org/details/newjudeajewishliOOgord 


/ 

V 


NEW  JUDEA 


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THE  JEWISH  COLONIES  IN  PALESTINE 


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NEW  JUDEA 


(nitrrinn  mnrv) 


NEW  JUDEA 


Jewish  Life  in  Modern  Palestine 

and  Egypt 


BY 

y 

BENJAMIN  L.  GORDON ,  M.lD. 


ntnn  latent  naan 
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PHILADELPHIA 

JULIUS  H.  GREENSTONE 


1919 


Copyright  1919 
By  BENJAMIN  L.  GORDON 


Press  of  Oser  Bros. 
Philadelphia 


TO  THE  MEMORY  OF 
ron:tf  djtdt  jTi la  man  nnjD  omiK 
my  beloved  parents  whose  love  for  Erez  Yisrael 
and  the  Hebrew  language  inspired  in  me  a 
longing  to  see  New  Judea. 


“  JTis  singular!  but  zvhen  I  am  thus  alone  at  this  still  hour,  I  ever 
fancy  I  gaze  upon  the  land  of  Promise.  And  often,  in  my  dreams,  some 
sunny  spot,  the  bright  memorial  of  a  roving  hour,  will  rise  upon  my  sight, 
and,  when  I  wake,  l  feel  as  if  I  had  been  in  Canaan.  Why  am  I  not ? 

.  But  I  rest  here,  my  miserable  life  running  to  seed  in  the  dull 
misery  of  this  vor etched  city,  and  do  nothing!  Why!  the  old  captivity  was 
empire  to  our  inglorious  bondage.  We  have  no  Esther  now  to  share  our 
thrones,  no  politic  Mordecai,  no  purple-vested  Daniel.  O  Jerusalem !  Jeru¬ 
salem!  I  do  believe  one  sight  of  thee  would  nerve  me  to  the  sticking  point. 

.  And  yet  to  gaze  upon  thy  fallen  state . }Tis  horrible. 

Is  there  no  hope ?”  (Beaconsfield,  David  Alroy.) 


FOREWORD 


The  contents  of  this  volume  originally  formed  a  series  of  articles, 
some  of  which  appeared  in  print*,  while  others  were  read  before  literary 
societies  soon  after  my  return  from  Palestine.  In  compliance  with  the 
suggestion  of  friends,  I  present  these  here  in  book  form. 

In  preparing  the  following  chapters  I  intended  at  first  to  draw  a 
picture  of  Egypt  and  Palestine  as  they  appeared  to  me,  without  going 
into  discussions  of  matters  relating  to  the  history  or  geography  of  the 
places  visited.  However,  as  I  proceeded  to  compile  my  notes,  certain 
questions  arose  demanding  elucidation  which  led  me  to  consult  the 
views  of  standard  works  on  Egypt  and  Palestine.  Such  views  as  are 
in  harmony  with  my  observations  I  deemed  it  advisable  to  embody  in 
this  volume. 

My  aim,  however,  was  to  describe  the  new  Jewish  life  in  Palestine 
as  exemplified  in  the  Jewish  agricultural  colonies  and  in  the  educational 
institutions.  I  have,  therefore,  chosen  the  name  for  this  volume,  “New 
Judea,”  because  I  saw  before  me  wherever  I  turned  a  real  New  Judea 
transformed  from  an  old  land  by  the  will  of  young  pioneers. 

I  made  no  effort  to  dwell  upon  the  colonies  of  New  Galilee.  As 
it  is,  the  \oiume  turned  out  larger  than  anticipated. 

Of  course,  this  book  does  not  pretend  to  be  a  literary  production. 
It  professes  to  be  only  impressions  of  travels  as  seen  through  the  spec¬ 
tacles  of  a  layman  deeply  interested  in  the  subject. 

A  visit  to  Palestine  is  not  an  unmixed  pleasure.  We  are,  indeed, 
overjoyed  when  we  see  the  new  life  sprouting  in  the  agricultural  colon¬ 
ies,  but  we  are  also  grieved  when  we  behold  the  ruins  left  as  a  monu¬ 
ment  of  Israel’s  civilization  of  the  times  gone  by.  Let  those  who  sneer 
at  such  emotions,  close  this  volume  right  here,  for  they  will  find  little 
to  their  taste. 

This  work  was  arranged  several  years  ago,  before  there  were  anv 
signs  of  the  present  disturbance  in  Europe,  and  the  observations  made, 
therefore,  are  uncolored  by  any  considerations  of  the  existing  state  of 
affairs  in  Turkey  and  Palestine. 

*  “The  Maccabean,”  New  York,  1911-12-13,  and  the  “Jewish  Exponent,”  Philadelphia, 

1912-1915-1916. 


7 


8 


THE  NEW  JUDEA 


In  describing  geographical  positions  or  in  giving  historical  data 
of  places,  I  have  consulted  standard  works  of  English,  German  and 
Hebrew  authors,  to  whom  I  am  much  indebted. 

I  also  take  this  occasion  to  express  my  gratitude  to  my  wife,  Debo¬ 
rah.  Her  faithful  devotion  and  good  advice  made  the  publication  of  this 
volume  possible.  I  am  indebted  to  my  publisher  and  friend,  Dr. 
Julius  H.  Greenstone,  for  his  kindness  in  reading  the  proof  and  for  other 
valuable  suggestions  connected  with  this  publication. 

I  wish  also  to  express  my  thanks  to  Mr.  M.  Sheinkin,  of  Jaffa, 
Palestine,  who  aided  in  arranging  my  tour  in  Palestine  and  who 
carefully  read  the  manuscript. 

Many  of  the  illustrations  are  taken  from  original  photographs 
which  were  made  at  the  time  of  my  tour  through  Palestine.  Some  of 
the  others  are  reproductions  of  the  works  of  the  young  artist,  Ben  Dob, 
of  the  Bezalel  School  of  Jerusalem  and  some  were  kindly  loaned  to  me 
by  the  Zionist  Organization  of  America,  to  whom  my  thanks  are  here¬ 
with  tendered.  The  map,  forming  the  frontispiece,  is  reproduced  from 
Trietsch’s  handbook  “Palastina,”  to  which  additions  were  made  of  locali¬ 
ties  that  came  into  existence  subsequent  to  the  publication  of  that 
volume,  thus  bringing  the  map  up  to  date. 

The  literary  form  of  the  work  has  been  improved  in  many  respects 
by  the  suggestions  of  my  friend,  Mr.  Arthur  A.  Dembitz,  to  whom  I 
express  my  indebtedness. 

BENJAMIN  L.  GORDON, 
Philadelphia,  November  10,  1918. 


CONTENTS 


Chapter  Page1 

INTRODUCTION 

I.  The  Renaissance  of  the  Jewish  National  Idea  .  xi 

II.  Hobebei  Zion  Period .  xxxii 

EGYPT 

I.  Eastward  .  1 

II.  Capital  of  the  Ptolmies .  5 

III.  Cairo  . 10 

IV.  Jews  in  Cairo  . 20 

NEW  JUDEA 

V.  Ancient  Jaffa .  25 

VI.  New  Jaffa .  31 

VII.  Mikveh  Israel .  39 

VIII.  Rishon  1’  Zion .  45 

IX.  The  Twin  Colony .  62 

X.  Rechoboth  .  69 

XI.  The  Bilu  Settlement . 77 

XII.  Ekron  .  S9 

XIII.  The  Land  of  Olives .  97 

XIV.  The  Home  of  the  Hasmoneans .  102 

XV.  In  the  Heights  of  Judea .  107 

XVI.  Jerusalem  .  114 

XVII.  Mount  Moriah  and  Mount  Zion .  124 

XVIII.  New  Jerusalem .  137 

XIX.  Departure  from  Jerusalem .  163 

XX.  Petach  Tikvah  .  166 

XXI.  Zichron  Jaacob  .  182 

XXII.  Hederah  .  187 

XXIII.  Israel’s  Claim  on  Palestine .  197 

XXVI.  Possibilities  of  Palestine .  214 

Notes  .  235 

Index  to  Talmudic  and  Biblical  References  .  242 

Index  .  245 


9 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Page 

Map  of  New  Judea,  . Frontispiece 


Theodore  Herzl  .  XVI 

Perez  Smolenskin  .  XVI 

Moses  Hess  .  XVI 

Emma  Lazarus  .  XVI 

Public  School  and  Kindergarten, 
Kechoboth,  .  XVII 

The  grain  Harvest  .  XVII 

The  Cedar  that  Hezl  planted.  .XXXII 

The  Colony  Mozah  . XXXII 

The  Colony  Benshemen  . XXXIII 

The  Yemenite  Shepherd  ....XXXIII 

Rabbi  Hirsch  Kalischer  . XLVIII 

Sir  Moses  Montefiore  . XLVIII 

Leon  Pinsker  . XLVIII 

Moses  Loeb  Lillienblum  . XLVIII 

High  School  Jaffa  . XLIX 

Girls  High  School  . XLIX 

The  Colony  Ghederah  .  12 

A  Beduin  tent  .  12 

A  view  of  Kechoboth  .  13 

A  Street  in  Petach  Tikvah  .  13 

Kabbi  Samuel  Mohiliver  .  28 

Kabbi  Isaac  Kuelf  .  28 

Jerusalem,  from  a  distance  .  28 

The  Burial  ground  of  Netter  ....  29 

A  common  roadside  scene  .  29 

A  Cluster  of  Grapes  .  44 

At  the  foundation  .  44 

At  the  threshing  floor  .  45 

Carrying  Sheaves  .  45 

A  group  of  Americans  at  the 

pyramides  .  60 

A  group  of  Americans  at  the  Nile  60 

Removing  withered  branches  ....  61 

To  the  threshing  floor  .  61 

Gymnasia  Herzeliah,  Jaffa  .  76 

Shomrim  .  76 

The  Bezalel  School  .  77 


The  Kailway  Station,  Jerusalem..  77 


Page 


The  Hagigah  in  Kechoboth  .  92 

A  Pilgrimage  to  Kechoboth .  92 

Kishon  l’Zion  .  93 

At  the  Village  Garden  . . .  93 

Shulamith,  School  of  Music  .  108 

Herzl  Street  in  Tel  Abib  .  108 

A  Typical  Village  .  109 

Huldah  .  109 

The  Damascus  Gate  .  124 

The  Jewish  National  Library  . . .  124 

Joseph  Chazanowitz  .  124 

The  Temple  site  .  125 

A  Street  in  Tel  Abib  .  125 

The  Vineyard  .  140 

The  Jordan  Kiver  .  140 

Kechoboth  .  141 

Town  Hall  .  141 

Workingmen’s  House  and  Garden 

at  Benshemen  . 156 

Weeding  Corn  .  156 

A  type  of  the  old  settlement .  157 

A  view  of  Mount  Moriah  and 

Mount  of  Olives  .  157 

A  group  of  Yemenite  Jews  .  172 

Yemenite  Children  .  172 

Jaffa  Street,  in  Jerusalem  .  172 

Synagogue,  Zichron  Jacob  .  173 

Eucalyptus  Street  .  173 

Kachel’s  Tomb  .  173 

David’s  Tomb  on  Mount  Zion  ....  188 

The  Tyropean  Valley  .  188 

The  Jordan  .  189 

The  Colony  Ekron  .  189 

A  Citv  of  Palms  .  204 

t/ 

The  Aujeh  River . .  204 

At  the  Western  Wall  .  204 

At  the  WTstern  Wall  .  204 

A  Garden  in  Northern  Palestine..  205 

Beehives  at  Vadi  El-Hanin  .  205 

i 


INTRODUCTION 


THE  RENAISSANCE  OF  THE  JEWISH  NATIONAL  IDEA 


Before  presenting  an  account  of  the  Jewish  colonies  of  Palestine,  an 
intelligent  appreciation  of  the  renaissance  of  the  Jewish  National  Idea 
and  a  knowledge  of  recent  conditions  in  Palestine  are  imperative ;  as 
it  is  difficult  to  appreciate  the  achievements  of  the  pioneer  colonists 
without  taking  into  account  those  factors  in  the  transformation  of  a 
mass  of  city  dwellers  into  tillers  and  planters. 

The  history  of  the  revival  of  the  Jewish  National  sentiment  may 
be  divided  into  three  periods.  The  “pre-Hobebei  Zion”  or  Hess- 
Kalischer  period;  the  “Hobebei  Zion”  or  Smolenskin-Pinsker  period  and 
the  Political  Zionist,  or  Herzl-Nordau,  period. 

The  first  begins  with  the  Damascus  affair  (1840),  the  second  fol¬ 
lowed  upon  the  anti-Jewish  outbreaks  in  Russia  in  the  early  eighties, 
and  the  third  is  indirectly  if  not  directly  connected  with  the  anti- 
semitic  agitation  during  the  Dreyfus  affair  (1894-99).  The  pre-Hobebei 
Zion  movement,  though  it  owes  its  growth  to  the  ritual  murder  accusa¬ 
tion  of  Damascus,  must  be  traced  back  to  the  early  part  of  the  nine¬ 
teenth  century,1  when  the  master  minds,  Blumenbach,  Prichard,  Cuvier 
and  Pickering,  were  active  in  the  creation  of  the  science  of  anthropology. 
The  political  atmosphere  of  Europe  became  impregnated  with  the  doc¬ 
trine  of  racial  independence,  and  the  family  trees  were  dissected  into 
branches  and  sub-branches2 3.  Cosmopolitanism,  which  was  heretofore 
preached  from  most  of  the  tribunals  of  Europe,  and  was  considered  the 
favorite  topic  of  the  progressive  element,  had  given  way  to  Chauvinism. 
Many  of  the  Balkan  States  declared  themselves  independent  for  racial 
reasons.  Greece  wrested  her  independence  from  Turkey.  Rumania, 


1  “Springtime  of  Nations,”  says  Moses  Hess,  “began  with  the  French  revolution.  Resur¬ 
rection  of  Nations  becomes  a  natural  phenomenon  at  a  time  when  Greece  and  Rome  are  being 
regenerated  .  .  .  There  is  a  restlessness  among  the  unliberated  nations  that  must  ulti¬ 

mately  end  in  an  uprising  of  all  peoples  oppressed,  either  by  Asiatic  barbarism  or  European 

civilization,  against  their  masters . Among  so-called  dead  nations,  which,  when 

they  regain  consciousness  of  their  historic  mission,  will  fight  for  their  national  rights,  is 
Israel — the  nation  which  for  two  thousand  years  has  withstood  the  storm  of  times,  and 
despite  having  been  thrown  about  by  the  current  of  history  to  every  corner  of  the  earth  has 
continuously  yearned  for  Jerusalem  ,  .  .”  (See  Preface  to  Rome  and  Jerusalem,  Berlin, 

1905.) 

3  See  “Ethnology  of  the  Jew,”  Jewish  Exponent,  Dec.  24-31,  1912,  by  the  author. 


xi 


xii 


INTRODUCTION 


Montenegro  and  Bulgaria  gained  their  political  freedom  from  Ottoman 
rule,  after  the  Russian  Turkish  War  (1878)  ;  Italy,  after  throwing  off 
the  yoke  of  Austria  and  the  Pope  (1878),  became  united  on  ethnologic 
grounds,  and  the  unification  of  Germany  was  accomplished  on  ancient 
Germanic  lines. 

The  result  of  such  doctrine  placed  the  Jew  in  a  most  pathetic  and 
singular  position.  As  a  good  citizen,  he  participated  in  the  fights  for 
independence,  and  as  a  progressive,  he  was  an  adherent  of  the  new 
science  of  anthropology.  But  when  the  struggle  was  over  and  his 
native  country  succeeded  in  its  fight  for  independence,  he  was  declared 
to  be  of  a  different  race  and  nationality.  Germany  is  for  the  Germanic 
race!  was  the  universal  cry  of  the  Fatherland.  The  Jew  being  of  Semitic 
origin,  naturally  can  have  no  claim  on  German  soil.  Anti-Semitism, 
therefore,  was  the  logical  outcome  of  the  new  teaching.  The  Reforma¬ 
tion  in  Germany  and  elsewhere  had  illuminated  the  minds  of  the  people, 
but  had  not  softened  their  hearts.  Luther,  the  creator  of  the  Reforma¬ 
tion.  was  not  in  sympathy  with  the  folloivers  of  an  alien  faith. 

The  cultured  Jew  of  Germany  found  himself  between  the  anvil  and 
the  hammer.  He  could  not  consistently  deny  his  Semitic  origin,  and 
would  not  accept  the  conclusion  of  the  anti-Semites,  to  relinquish  his 
claim  on  his  native  country,  having  helped  proportionately  more  than 
any  other  class  of  people  to  weld  the  new  empire.  The  idea  that  Juda¬ 
ism  is  merely  a  religious  confession,  as  taught  by  the  Mendelssohniart 
School,  has  indeed  brought  the  adaptation  of  the  Western  European 
Jews  as  far  as  possible  to  the  manners  and  aspirations  of  the  dominant 
nationality  among  which  they  lived,  but  as  a  remedy  against  anti- 
Semitism  it  turned  out  to  be  an  illusion.  A  blind  hatred  of  Jews 
which  baffled  all  attempts  of  enlightenment  was  in  progress  in  spite  of 
the  earnest  desire  to  sacrifice  their  inner  conviction  to  merge  as  com¬ 
pletely  as  posible  with  the  masses  of  their  fellow-citizens;  their  honest 
efforts  were  spurned  in  contempt.  The  prevailing  thought  was,  “That 
the  mere  birth  in  a  certain  land  does  not  change  the  racial  pedigree.” 

When  the  Western  European  Jew  found  himself  shut  out  of  society, 
two  ways  were  open  to  him ;  assimilation — which  at  its  best,  is  not 
more  than  a  gradual  national  suicide — or  nationalism  of  a  strictly  He¬ 
brew  character,  with  Palestine  as  the  objective  centre. 

As  must  be  expected  under  such  conditions,  a  large  number  of  the 
cultured  element  of  the  Western  European  Jewry  sacrificed  their  nation¬ 
ality  and  incidentally  their  religion  for  social  equality.  Heine,  Boerne, 


INTRODUCTION 


rill 


Marx  and  other  Jewish  intellectuals  endeavored  through  baptism  to  be 
counted  as  a  part  of  Christian  culture  of  Europe.  Lassalle  expressed 
himself  in  the  following  words,  “Cowardly  people,  thou  dost  not  deserve 
a  better  lot.  The  trodden  worm  will  turn,  but  thou  only  bowest  deeper. 
Thou  knowest  not  how  to  die,  how  to  annihilate  thyself.  Thou  knowest 
not  what  righteous  vengeance  is.  Thou  knowest  not  what  it  is  to  bury 
thyself  with  thy  enemy,  and  in  the  very  death  struggle  tear  his  flesh 
from  him.  Thou  art  born  to  be  a  slave  !”2 

Many  a  Jewish  youth  fascinated  by  the  idea  of  forming  close  rela¬ 
tionship  with  his  neighbors  of  Christian  faith,  repudiated  every  trace 
that  might  compromise  such  intimate  union,  and  was  finally  carried 
away  by  the  tide  of  assimilation  towards  Christianity. 

This  happy  reconciliation  would  have  served  as  an  excellent  means 
of  bringing  peace  even  though  the  peace  of  death,  if  their  coreligionists 
in  other  countries  had  been  willing  to  join  in  thus  throwing  off  their 
historic  religion,  but  as  this  was  impossible,  its  effect  bore  only  a  local 
character. 

The  more  thoughtful  ones  followed  the  leadership  of  Rabbis  Samuel 
Holdheim  (1806-1860),  and  Abraham  Geiger  (1810-1874),  who  sought  to 
stop  the  drift  of  apostasy  by  introducing  reform  into  the  religious 
services,  such  as  omitting  all  references  to  Zion  and  Jerusalem  from  the 
ritual  and  the  substitution  of  the  German  vernacular  for  the  Hebrew 
text.  Such  changes  quickly  transformed  the  traditional  Synagogue 
into  a  Temple,  which  in  all  external  appearances  differed  but  little  from 
the  Christian  Protestant  church.  But  while  the  reform  idea  was  not 
without  its  advantages  in  so  far  as  it  kept  within  the  Jewish  fold  many 
who  would  have  deserted  it,  it  brought  about  a  dislike  for  the  Hebrew 
language  and  gave  rise  to  indifference  to  Jewish  learning  and  tradition 
among  the  masses. 

Upon  the  anti-Semites  it  made  little  impression  and  that  fact  was 
brought  home  to  the  Jews  of  Western  Europe  in  the  form  of  abuse, 
ridicule,  social  ostracism,  boycott,  etc.  The  remedy  of  partial  assimila¬ 
tion  proved  to  be  a  quack  cure.  It  takes  a  good  neighbor  to  be  able  to 
keep  peace,  just  as  it  requires  a  bad  one  to  pick  a  quarrel.  It  demon¬ 
strated  that  Jewish  freedom  does  not  depend  upon  the  Jew  alone,  for  if 
the  environment  be  hostile  to  the  Jew  even  the  gods  fight  in  vain. 

Nothing  short  of  a  catastrophe  was  needed  to  bring  matters  to  a 
head.  The  crude  awakening  of  the  Western  European  Jew  came  from 


*  See  Schloesinger,  Mac.,  Vol  X,  p,  107. 


xiv 


INTRODUCTION 


Damascus,  when  in  the  year  1840  a  Capuchin  friar — Father  Thomas 
disappeared.  At  the  instigation  of  the  French  Consul  Ratti  Menton,  the 
blame  for  his  disappearance  was  laid  upon  the  Jews,  and  a  case  of  “rit¬ 
ual  murder”  was  made  out.  Many  Jews  were  imprisoned  and  tortured, 
and  the  tale  of  woe  reached  Europe.  The  attention  of  the  world  in  this 
manner  was  turned  to  Syria  and  Palestine.  The  Western  European 
Jew  began  to  see  that  he  had  an  important  duty  towards  his  brethren 
in  the  near  east.  Jewish  history  again  repeated  itself.  The 
assimilation  epoch  gave  birth  to  a  new  era.  Great  leaders  of  Jewish 
thought  arose  to  combat  the  drift  of  assimilation,  and  to  oppose  the  idea 
of  “Judaism  for  convenience  only.”  They  proclaimed  that  the  Jewish 
people  are  a  national  entity,  and  as  a  nationality  they  had  a  right  to 
live  their  own  life,  and  that  Judaism,  if  it  is  to  be  perpetuated,  must 
assume  a  national  character  with  Palestine  as  its  prospective  center. 

One  of  these  leaders  in  Germany  who  came  out  strongly  in  spite 
of  opposition,2  for  the  Jewish  National  Idea,  was  Zacharias  Frankel 
(1801-1875.)  In  disapproving  of  the  second  edition  of  the  Hamburg  prayer, 
book  that  left  out  all  mention  of  the  Messiah  and  the  hope  for  a  return  of 
Zion,  he  remarks,  “The  experience  of  many  centuries  had  proved  that  a 
people  without  a  land  and  without  a  political  independence  is  held  in 
derision  by  the  rest  of  the  world.  Recent  events  (evidently  referring 
to  the  Greek  revolution  of  1828)  have  demonstrated  that  a  people  after 
many  years  of  subjection,  can  throw  off  the  yoke  of  a  tyrant  and  become 
free.  It  is  necessary  that  Israel  becomes  conscious  of  its  own  powers 
and  in  the  promises  held  out  to  it,  for  if  this  hope  is  lost  it  will  entirely 
disappear.3 

In  the  row  of  the  modern  Jewish  National  Movement  the  name  of 
Rabbi  Kalischer,  of  Thorn,  Prussia  (1795-1875),  stands  out  very  promi¬ 
nently.  As  early  as  1836  he  writes  to  Asher  Mayer  Rothschild:  “Let 
no  one  imagine  that  the  redemption  of  Israel  and  the  Messiah  will 
appear  suddenly  from  heaven,  and  amidst  miracles  and  wonders  will 
he  gather  the  Israelites  of  the  diaspora  to  their  ancient  inheritance. 
The  beginning  of  the  redemption  will  take  place  in  a  natural  way  by 
the  desire  of  the  Jews  to  settle  in  Palestine,  and  the  willingness  of 
the  nations  to  help  them  in  their  work.4 

2  It  Is  said  that  Frederick  Wilhelm  IV  of  Prussia  once  asked  the  banker  Mendelssohn  what 
he  thought  of  his  idea  to  have  the  Jews  return  to  Palestine.  “It  is  a  beautiful  project,”  said 
the  banker,  “and  in  case  it  becomes  realized  I  would  ask  that  I  be  appointed  by  the  new 
State  as  its  Ambassador  to  Berlin.” 

*  Orient  1842  Nos  7-9 

4  See  Shibath  Zion,  Pt.  11,  p.  45,  by  Slutzky,  Warsaw,  1891;  Emunoh  Yeshoroh  “The 
Right  Faith.”  188G. 


INTRODUCTION 


XV 


Kalischer  advocated  the  colonization  of  Palestine  from  a  religio- 
national  point  of  view;  that  the  Jews  were  a  nation  was  to  Kalischer 
and  to  the  people  he  was  addressing  a  fact  that  needed  no  proof.  His 
main  difficulties  were  in  convincing  Orthodox  Judaism  that  the  time 
was  ripe  for  the  Jews  to  return  to  the  soil  of  their  fathers,  that  such 
a  return  is  in  conformity  with  the  letter  and  spirit  of  the  Scripture  and 
the  Rabbinic  writings. 

His  book,  Drishath  Zion,”5  contains  three  fundamental  principles 
upon  which  his  discussion  is  based.  First,  the  salvation  of  the  Jews 
can  only  come  about  in  a  natural  way,  by  self  help.  Second,  coloniza¬ 
tion  must  begin  at  once  in  Palestine.  Third,  the  reintroduction  of  sac¬ 
rifices.  His  views  in  the  main  were  so  modern  in  those  days  that  it  took 
much  rabbinic  learning  and  the  use  of  dialectic  methods  to  convince  the 
rabbis  of  his  time  that  his  position  was  strictly  orthodox. 

Kalischer  carried  on  a  great  agitation  for  the  idea  of  colonizing 
Palestine  and  cultivating  its  soil.  He  was  in  correspondence  with  men 
like  Rothschild,  Moses  Montefiore,  Rabbi  Nathan  Adler,  Albert  Cohen 
and  A.  Cremieux.  He  urged  the  establishment  of  a  school  to  teach 
Jewish  youths  the  art  and  science  of  farming,  and  he  advocated  the 
placing  of  a  Jewish  military  guard  in  Palestine  for  the  protection  of 
Jewish  settlers.  In  his  book  he  makes  it  plain  that  the  redemption  of 
the  Jews  as  promised  by  the  prophets  could  only  be  accomplished  in  a 
gradual  and  natural  way  and  only  through  endeavor  and  self  help  on 
the  part  of  the  Jews.  He  particularly  desired  that  the  receivers  of  the 
Halukah  be  the  first  to  take  up  the  colonization  of  Palestine.  He 
traveled  extensively  to  propagate  his  doctrine,  and  he  won  over  many 
prominent  Jews  and  eminent  rabbis  to  his  ideas. 

When  Kalischer  heard  that  permission  was  obtained  from  the 
Turkish  Government  for  Jews  to  buy  land  in  Palestine,  he  was  over¬ 
joyed.  He  saw  in  it  the  “Steps  of  the  Messiah.”  In  a  letter  to  Albert 
Cohen,  of  Paris,  he  states  that  Jewish  settlement  in  Palestine  will  be 
the  first  step  towards  the  Messianic  Era.  “Now  is  the  time!”  he  ex¬ 
claims.  “So  many  Jews  have  been  elevated  to  high  positions  and  are 
able  to  exert  their  influence  on  the  rulers  of  Europe.”6 

Among  the  prominent  rabbis  who  supported  him  were  Elijah  Gut- 
macher,  of  Greiditz,  and  the  Sephardic  rabbi,  Judah  Alkali,  rabbi  of 


B  Lyck,  1862. 

•  Shibath  Zion,  Pt.  2,  p.  48. 


xvi 


INTRODUCTION 


Semlin,  Croatia.  The  latter  published  many  pamphlets  and 
books  wherein  he  strongly  advocated  the  restoration  of  Jews  to  Pales¬ 
tine.  In  his  “Goral  Ladonoi”7  he  advocates  the  founding  of  a  Jewish 
national  fund,  if  for  no  other  purpose  than  that  of  inducing  the  Sultan 
to  cede  Palestine  to  the  Jews  under  the  suzerainty  of  Turkey,  also  to 
issue  a  call  for  a  General  Jewish  Congress  and  to  choose  representa¬ 
tives  for  taking  up  Palestinian  work. 

All  the  strong  opposition  against  Kalischer  from  the  reformers, 
the  ultra-orthodox  and  the  recipients  of  the  Halukah,  did  not  discour¬ 
age  him  from  energetically  pursuing  his  work  in  behalf  of  his  coloniza¬ 
tion  ideas  in  Palestine.  His  is  the  merit  of  having  organized  the  first 
Zion  Society,  “Hebrath  Yishub  Erez  Israel,”  of  Frankfort  on  the  Main 
(1861),  with  the  view  to  purchasing  large  tracts  of  land  and  parceling 
them  off  in  small  holdings.  The  title  “Rishon  l’Zion”  (the  first  to 
Zion)  was  justly  added  to  his  name.78 

The  same  year  that  Kalischer  published  his  “Drishath  Zion”  there 
appeared  from  the  press  of  Leipzig  “Rome  and  Jerusalem.”  Its  author, 
Moses  Hess  (1812-1875),  probably  influenced  by  Kalischer8,  was  the 
first  to  recognize  the  Jewish  question  as  one  of  national  politics.  He 
based  his  arguments  on  ethnic  psychology,  historic  facts  and  social 
economic  principles,  and  urged  a  national  political  solution. 

Hess  had  formerly  been  a  follower  of  Carl  Marx  and  Friedrich 
Engels  in  their  Socialistic  propaganda,  and  had  exerted  a  great  influence 
in  Germany  in  the  development  of  the  theory  of  Pierre  Joseph  Proud¬ 
hon,  the  French  socialist  and  political  writer. 

Awakened  by  the  terror  of  Damascus  (1840),  this  socialist  who 
hitherto  had  championed  the  emancipation  of  mankind  returned  to  his 
people  to  apply  his  great  idea  of  emancipation  for  the  liberation  of  his 
own  people  in  the  land  of  his  ancestors.  His  book,  “Rome  and  Jerusa¬ 
lem,”  created  a  sensation.  Even  his  friends  regarded  his  scheme  as  a 
chimera  of  an  unbalanced  mind.  But  the  more  Hess  was  laughed  at, 
and  forsaken  by  his  socialistic  comrades,  the  stronger  grew  his  faith  in 
the  mission  of  Israel  to  regenerate  itself. 

With  all  the  strength  of  his  conviction  he  gave  himself  up  to  his 
dream  of  a  new  Jewish  Messianism,  and  he  succeeded  in  putting  the  idea 
of  Jewish  Nationality  on  a  plane  of  scientific  truth.  The  enduring 

r  -  ■* 

T  Amsterdam,  1853. 

T  a  See  Greenstone  Mac,  1911,  p.  79. 

•See  Zlozistl’s  introduction  to  Heas’  Judische  Schriftea,  Berlin,  1905;  also  Letter  XII, 

Rome  and  Jerusalem. 


THEODORE  HERZL 
(1860—1904) 

(See  Page  1) 


PEREZ  SMOLENSKIN 
(1842—1885) 

(See  Page  XXXV) 


MOSES  HESS 
(1817—1875) 

(See  Page  XVII) 


EMMA  LAZARUS 
(1849—1887) 

(See  Page  XXXI) 


THE  GRAIN  HARVEST 

They  that  sew  in  tears  shall  reap  in,  joy.  (Psalm  CXVII:5) 

(See  Page  77) 


PUBLIC  SCHOOL  AND  KINDERGARTEN,  RECHOBOTH 

(See  Page  75} 


INTRODUCTION 


xvii 


ideas  about  Judaism  which  are  set  down  in  his  book  have  come  to  be 
recognized  and  appreciated  best  since  the  reawakening  of  the  Jewish 
national  spirit.  Hess’  fundamental  views  have  become  the  basis  of 
modern  Zionism.  His  “Rome  and  Jerusalem”9  will  always  remain  the 
basic  work  of  Zionist  literature. 

The  leading  ideas  in  “Rome  and  Jerusalem”  are:  The  Jews  will 
always  remain  foreigners  among  the  European  peoples.  These  eman¬ 
cipate  them  for  humanitarian  reasons,  but  will  never  respect  them  so 
long  as  the  Jews  place  their  own  historical  memories  in  the  back¬ 
ground,  and  hold  to  the  principle  of  “Ubi  bene  ibi  patria.”  He  dis¬ 
agreed  with  the  Marxian  theory  of  “International  Interest  of  the  Pro¬ 
letarian  Class  as  far  as  it  concerns  the  Jews.”  It  is  not  the  old  type 
pious  Jew,  who  would  rather  suffer  than  deny  his  nationality,  that  is 
most  despised,  but  the  modern  Jew,  who,  like  the  German  outcast  in 
foreign  countries,  denies  his  nationality.93-  He  believed  that  the  Jewish 
type  is  indestructible,  and  the  national  feeling  of  the  Jew  cannot  be 
uprooted,  in  spite  of  the  German  Jew,  who,  for  the  sake  of  more  liberty 
and  the  hope  of  perfect  equality,  have  persuaded  themselves  of  the  con¬ 
trary.  “If  Jewish  emancipation  in  other  lands  is  incompatible  with 
Jewish  nationalism,  emancipation  must  give  way  to  nationality.” 

“In  vain  does  the  enlightened  Jew  hide  behind  his  geographical 
and  philosophical  alibi.  It  is  of  no  use ;  put  a  mask  on  yourself  as  often 
as  you  desire,  change  your  name,  your  religion  and  character,  . 
yet  every  insult  to  the  Hebrew  name  will  haunt  you.9b 

“The  German  hates  the  Jewish  religion  less  than  the  race.  He 
objects  less  to  Jewish  beliefs  than  their  noses.  Neither  reform  nor  con¬ 
version  nor  emancipation  throws  open  to  the  Jew  the  gate  of  social  life.” 

Hess  hoped  until  the  last  day  of  his  life  that  France  would  aid  the 
Jew  in  founding  colonies,  “extending  from  Egypt  ...  to  Jeru¬ 
salem,  and  from  the  Jordan  to  the  Mediterranean  Sea.10  Hess  dreamed 
of  a  Jewish  Congress  demanding  support  of  the  Powers  for  the  purchase 
of  Palestine. 

Hess  was  not  the  only  one  whom  the  Damascus  affair  awakened 
to  the  idea  of  founding  a  Jewish  state.  An  anonymous  German  Jew 

9  Published'  in  the  form  of  a  letter  addressed  to  a  lady  who  was  pondering  over  the 
problem  of  resurrection. 

8  (a)  lb.  Letter  V. 

8(b)  lb.  Letter  IV 

10  See  letters  concerning  Israel’s  Mission  in  the  History  of  Mankind,  eighth  letter.  See 
also  the  eleventh  letter.  Also  Mac,  x,  p.  107 


xviii 


INTRODUCTION 


who  signed  himself  “D.  V.  H.”11  makes  a  stirring  appeal  to  the  Jews 
of  Germany  to  help  the  restoration  of  Jews  to  Palestine.  The  plea 
reads  as  though  coming  from  the  pen  of  a  later  day  “Herzl-Zionist.” 
He  impresses  upon  his  co-religionists  the  necessity  of  procuring  Syria 
for  the  Jews  under  Turkish  sovereignty  while  the  “blood  persecution 
in  Damascus  is  still  fresh  in  the  memory.” 

“Now  or  never,”  he  cries  out.  “The  Turkish  Empire  is  falling  to 
ruin ;  the  Sclavonian  provinces  of  the  north  have  created  their  own 
government;  Greece  has  severed  itself;  the  Wallachians  number  the 
days  till  their  perfect  independence.  .  .  .  Will  Israel  alone  hide 
his  hand  in  his  bosom?  The  events  of  the  East  are  the  finger  of  the 
Lord;  a  sphere  is  there  opening  for  us;  there  will  our  fate  be  decided. 
Have  we  then  for  so  many  centuries,  and  even  to  this  day,  undauntedly 
preserved  our  ancestral  manners  and  customs,  our  language  and  religion, 
amid  so  many  storms,  among  the  Northern  strangers  for  nothing  else 
but  annihilation,  allured  by  a  pitiful  political  emancipation,  after  endless 
petitioning?  Some  few  privileges  curtailed  on  every  side  are  thrown 
to  us  out  of  compassion.  .  .  .  As  strangers  we  are  tolerated,  but 

nowhere  sought  after,  nowhere  loved.  .  .  .  We  are  neither  Ger¬ 

mans  nor  Sclavonians,  nor  yet  Italians  or  Greeks!  We  are  the  children 
of  Israel,  kindred  of  the  Arabs  who  carried  their  glorious  arms  from 
the  Caucasus  to  the  Pillars  of  Hercules.  Unspeakable  misfortune  com¬ 
pelled  us  to  claim  the  right  of  hospitality  of  foreign  nations,  but  not 
forever  shall  we  be  trampled  under  their  feet,  deprived  of  the  sacred 
name  of  fatherland.” 

“We  have  a  country,”  he  'continues,  “the  inheritance  of  our 
fathers,  finer,  more  fruitful,  better  situated  for  commerce  than  many 
of  the  most  celebrated  portions  of  the  globe.”  He  goes  on  describing 
the  beautiful  situation  and  the  rich  physical  geography  of  Palestine, 
and  remarks  that  no  nation  has  been  able  to  establish  itself  there 
and  maintain  its  nationality.  In  Palestine  there  is  a  chaotic  mixture 
of  all  tribes  and  tongues  who  disturb  one  another,  and  these  can  have 
no  claim  on  Palestine. 

“If  the  Servians  and  Greeks  found  protection,  why  should  not  we? 
France  lavishes  blood  and  treasure  to  civilize  Africa;  India  flourishes 
under  the  British  sceptre;  the  hordes  of  Mongols  learn  agriculture 
under  the  strong  hands  of  Russia.  Shall  no  government  be  found  to 


11  See  Fuerst’s  Orient  (Leipzig),  June  27,  1840,  pp.  200-201. 


INTRODUCTION 


xix 

rescue  Palestine  from  desolating  anarchy,  to  erect  there  a  school  of 
humanity  and  civilization  for  the  East?” 

He  concludes  by  exclaiming:  “People  of  Jehovah,  raise  yourself 
from  your  thousands  years’  slumber;  rally  round  leaders;  have  really 
the  will — a  Moses  will  not  be  wanting.  The  rights  of  nations  will 
never  grow  old ;  take  possession  of  the  land  of  your  fathers. 

Trust  in  the  Lord,  who  has  led  you  safely  through  the  vale  of  misery 
thousands  of  years.  He  also  will  not  forsake  you  in  your  last  con¬ 
flict.”12 

Influenced  by  the  scientific  exposition  of  the  national  idea  of  Hess, 
the  historian  Heinrich  Graetz  came  out  in  an  essay13  entitled  “Die 
Verjuengung  des  Juedischen  Stammes,”  wherein  he  demonstrates  by  his¬ 
toric  facts  that  the  Jewish  nation  is  its  own  Messiah  and  must  be  its 
own  rejuvenator.  “The  history  of  the  Post-Talmudic  Period,”  says 
Graetz,  “still  possesses  a  national  character ;  it  is  by  no  means  merely  a 
creed  or  church  history.  .  .  .  Our  history  is  far  from  being  a  mere 

chronicle  of  literary  events  or  church  history.  Why,  therefore,  char¬ 
acterize  it  as  such?  The  literature  and  religious  development  just  as 
the  tragi.:  maityrdom  are  only  incidents  in  the  life  history  of  the  people, 
not  its  substance. ”13a 

Graetz  became  affiliated  with  “The  Hovevei  Zion”  movement  that 
existed  then  in  Germany  and  served  as  member  of  the  Executive  Board.14 

In  the  year  1812  Graetz  visited  Palestine.  The  condition  of  the 
country  impressed  him  favorably.  In  Jerusalem,  however  he  met  with  a 
disappointment.  While  attending  services  in  the  chief  Ashkenazic 
synagogue  a  certain  fanatic  offended  him.  He  accused  him  of  heresy  in 
the  presence  of  a  large  gathering.15 

Graetz  was  not  the  only  one  impressed  by  the  work  of  Hess.  In 
France,  J.  Frankel,  a  prominent  banker  of  Nancy,  was  also  influenced 
by  “Rome  and  Jerusalem.”  Frankel,  impressed  on  one  hand  by  the 
National  movement  of  his  time  and  on  the  other  by  the  insecure  condi¬ 
tion  in  which  the  Jews  of  Eastern  Europe  lived,  pleaded  boldly  and 
openly  for  the  reconstruction  of  a  Jewish  State  in  Palestine  by  the  pur¬ 
chase  of  the  country  from  Turkey.  The  idea  of  a  Jewish  State  in  his 
opinion  was  so  indispensable  to  the  welfare  of  the  Jews  that  he  even 

12  See  “History  of  the  Jews’'  (with  a  preface)  by  William  Finks,  Second  American  edition, 
Boston,  1847,  pp.  361-364,  George  A.  Kohut,  Mac,  Vol.  X,  p.  179. 

13  In  the  “Jahrbuch  der  Israeliten”  (1863),  p.  64. 

13  a  Graetz  history  of  the  Jews,  German  Ed.,  Vol.  5,  Introduction,  p.  3. 

14  See  “Shibath  Zion”  by  Slutzky. 

15  See  Luach  Erez  Israel,  5672. 


XX 


INTRODUCTION 


made  provision  in  case  Turkey  were  not  willing  to  sell  out  to  the  Jews. 
“Should  Palestine  be  impossible/’  he  writes,  “we  must  seek  in  any 
part  of  the  globe  some  fixed  home  for  the  Jews,  for  the  essential  point 
is  that  they  be  at  home  and  independent  of  other  nations.” 

Lazar  Levy  Bing  in  a  brochure,  in  1871,  champions  the  idea  of  a 
Jewish  Nationalism  and  expresses  hope  that  Jerusalem  might  become 
the  ideal  centre  of  the  world.  “The  nations,”  he  declared,  “are  in  duty 
bound  to  restore  to  the  Jews  their  ascestral  home.16 

The  great  Swiss  humanitarian,  the  founder  of  the  Red  Cross  Society 
and  the  Geneva  Conference,  Henry  Dunant,  a  year  after  the  appear¬ 
ance  of  “Rome  and  Jerusalem”  (1863),  made  strong  efforts  to  influence 
the  leading  Jewish  organizations  of  Europe  to  work  for  the  coloniza¬ 
tion  of  Jews  in  Palestine.  He  organized  an  international  Palestine 
Society  and  a  Syrian  Palestine  Colonization  Society  (1876).  He 
pleaded  before  the  Alliance  Israelite  Universelle  to  take  up  the  coloniza¬ 
tion  of  Palestine,  and  failing  after  years  of  continuous  efforts  with  the 
French  organization,  endeavored  in  1866  to  interest  some  wealthy  Jews 
of  Berlin  and,  again  meeting  with  a  deaf  ear  to  his  appeals,  he  solicited 
the  assistance  of  the  Anglo  Jewish  Association  of  London,  where  he 
was  again  turned  down  by  the  very  people  in  whose  behalf  he  was 
working.17 

Dunant  was  not  the  only  Christian  to  argue  in  favor  of  Palestine 
with  Jews  and  be  refused.  The  Italian  patriot,  Benedetto  Musolino, 
addressed  himself  to  the  Rothschilds  with  a  worked-out  plan  to  estab¬ 
lish  a  Jewish  state  in  Palestine,  declaring  that  such  a  state  would  not 
only  be  a  blessing  to  the  Jewish  people,  but  would  also  be  of  great  benefit 
to  the  Ottoman  Empire,  to  England  and  other  countries. 

His  countryman,  Samuel  D.  Luzzatto,  the  critic  and  poet  of  Padua, 
appeared  also  desirous  to  reach  the  ears  of  the  Rothschilds  when  in 
1857  he  wrote  to  Albert  Cohen,  the  secretary  of  the  Paris  member  of 
the  family,  “Palestine  must  be  peopled  by  Jews,  and  its  land  tilled  by 
the  sons  of  Israel  in  order  that  the  land  of  our  fathers  take  on  again 
as  in  days  of  yore — beauty  and  glory.”  His  Zion  song,  “Libbi,  Libbi, 
Rab  Machobi”  (My  Heart,  My  Heart,  Is  Full  of  Pain),  is  still  the 
favorite  Zion  melody  and  continues  to  be  sung  at  Zionist  gatherings. 

Among  other  pro-Zionite  propagandists  should  be  mentioned  the 
great  authority  on  the  Second  Jewish  Commonwealth  and  Biblical  Leg- 


18  See  Die  Welt,  1903,  N.  51. 

1T  See  Die  Welt,  1904,  No.  22,  p.  7. 


INTRODUCTION 


xxi 


islation,  Joseph  Salvadore  of  France  (1796-1873),  who  as  early  as  1830 
advocated  the  call  of  a  Congress  by  European  powers  for  the  purpose 
of  urging  the  restoration  of  Palestine  to  the  Jews.18 

The  historian,  Isaac  Da  Costa  (1778-1860),  giving  a  survey  of  the 
Jewish  history  of  the  Nineteenth  Century,  remarks:  “In  the  heart  of 
the  Turkish  Empire  is  found  the  land  that  for  the  past  fifty  years  has 
attracted  the  attention  of  many  hearts  in  Europe  and  America.  This 
land  is  Palestine,  the  land  promised  to  Israel’s  ancestors . 

“Concerning  the  people  whose  fatherland  it  was  and  the  land  it¬ 
self,”  he  continued,  “changes  in  the  political  world  such  as  were  never 
heard  of  in  centuries  past  make  the  project  of  securing  Palestine  for 
Jews,  either  through  payment  or  through  diplomacy,  feasible.  These 
changes  make  possible  the  solution  of  the  great  problem  of  the  seven 
million  descendants  of  Abraham  who  are  scattered  over  the  entire  sur¬ 
face  of  the  earth,  of  rebuilding  their  temple  as  in  the  days  of  Cyrus,  King 
of  Persia.”19 

Independent  of  any  European  propaganda  appear  to  be  the  efforts 
of  the  journalist  and  diplomat,  Mordecai  Manuel  Noah  (1785-1851). 
While  traveling  through  Europe  he  was  struck  with  the  contrast  be¬ 
tween  the  oppressed  condition  of  the  Jews  of  Europe  and  the  freedom 
of  his  brethren  in  his  own  country — America.  Pondering  over  a  solu¬ 
tion  of  the  vexing  Jewish  problem,  he  came  to  the  same  conclusion  as 
many  Zionistdeaders  of  a  later  date.  Upon  his  return  to  America  (1818) 
in  the  course  of  an  address20  he  remarked :  “When  the  signal  for  break¬ 
ing  the  Turkish  Sceptre  in  Europe  is  given,  the  Jews  who  hold  the 
purse  strings  and  can  wield  the  sword  and  can  bring  one  hundred  thou¬ 
sand  men  into  the  field  will  possess  themselves  once  more  of  Syria  and 
take  rank  among  the  nations  of  the  world.  Never  were  the  prospects 
for  the  restoration  of  the  Jewish  Nation  to  their  ancient  rights  and  do¬ 
minion  more  brilliant  than  at  present.  .  .  .  They  will  assist  to  estab- 
ish  civilization  in  Europe  .  .  .  and  take  rank  among  the  governments 

of  the  earth.” 

18  Orient  25,  p.  22,  J.  E.  Vol.  12,  p.  6(38. 

19  See  Israel  en  de  Volken  Haarlem,  1848-49. 

*«  Delivered  at  the  dedication  exercises  of  the  Shearith  Israel  Synagogue  of  New  York, 
April  17,  1818. 


xxii 


INTRODUCTION 


The  appeals  of  Noah21  found  no  response  even  among  his  own  co-re¬ 
ligionists,  notwithstanding  the  earnestness  and  logical  manner  in  which 
he  spoke. 

The  Rev.  Isaac  Leeser,  foremost  Jewish  scholar  of  the  day,  who 
several  years  later  aided  Warner  Cresson  in  his  colonization  scheme  in 
Palestine,  gave  no  encouragement  to  Noah  in  his  project  of  forming  a 
Jewish  State.  Leeser  evidently  was  not  convinced  that  the  powers 
would  agree  to  permit  the  formation  of  an  independent  state  in  Pal¬ 
estine. 

Noah’s  attempt  to  establish  a  temporary  Jewish  State  on  Grand 
Island,  near  Buffalo,  was  also  marked  for  failure.  ‘‘Ararat,”  as  the 
new  state  was  called,  was  only  to  serve  as  a  portico  for  the  future 
home-Zion ;  similar  to  the  Uganda  plan  which  was  at  a  later  day  intro¬ 
duced  at  the  Zionist  Congress.22 

A  few  years  after  Noah  had  failed  in  his  attempt  to  found  a  Jewish 
State  on  Grand  Island,  New  York,  Moses  Montefiore,  another  Sephar¬ 
dic  Jew,  dedicated  his  life  for  the  ideal  of  restoring  Palestine  to  his 
brethren.  Montefiore’s  activities  in  Palestine  were  not,  as  is  generally 
believed,  merely  from  religio-philanthropic  emotions,  but  were  also 
national  in  character.  He  loved  his  people  intensely  and  regarded  the 
honor  and  welfare  of  his  race  above  everything  else  and  because  of  his 
ardent  love  for  his  race  it  awoke  in  him  a  devotion  to  the  land  of  his 
ancestors,  where  Israel’s  history  was  enacted.  To  him  Israel  was  one, 
and  there  was  no  difference  between  one  class  of  Jews  and  another. 

12  In  another  address  before  an  audience  of  Jews  and  Gentiles,  Dec.  2,  1S44,  he  cries  out: 

“Where  can  we  plead  the  cause  of  independence  of  Israel  with  greater  confidence  than 
in  the  cradle  of  American  liberty?  Where  ask  for  toleration  and  kindness  for  the  seed  of 
Abraham  if  wTe  find  it  not  among  the  descendants  of  the  Pilgrims?  .  .  .  “We  have 
advanced  the  indepedence  of  South  American  republics,  We  have  given  a  home  to  ouri  red 
brethren  by  the  Mississippi;  we  have  combated  for  the  independence  of  Greece  and  we  have 
restored  the  African  in  his  native  land.  ...  If  these  nations  are  entitled  to  our  sympa¬ 
thies,  how  much  more  powerful  are  the  claims  of  Israel?”  He  goes  on  describing  the  great 
changes  taking  place  in  the  East  and  continues:  “For  the  safety  of  the  surrounding  nations 
a  powerful,  wealthy,  independent  and  enterprising  people  is  placed  there  and  b.t  consent  of 
Christian  powers  and  with  their  aid  and  agency  the  lost  of  Israel  will  pass^  once  more  Into 
the  possession  of  the  descendants  of  Abraham.  The  ports  of  the  Mediterranean  will  be  again 
opened  for  the  busy  hum  of  commerce.  The  fields  will  again  bear  the  fruitful  harvest.” 

“This  is  our  destiny,”  he  continues  in  his  address,  “every  attempt  to  colonize  Jews  in  other 
countries  has  failed;  their  eyes  have  steadily  rested  on  their  own  beloved  Jerusalem  and  they 
have  said  the  time  will  come,  the  promise  will  be  fulfilled.  Agriculture  was  once  their 
national  employ  ment.  The  land  is  now  desolated  but  is  full  of  hope  and  promise,  according 
to  the  prediction  of  the  Prophet.” 

22  See  “Discourses  on  the  Restoration  of  the  Jews,”  by  Mordecai  Manuel  Noah, 
also  Max  Raisin  in  Hasbiloah,  Vol.  XIII,  also  pub.  of  American  Jewish  His  Soc 
Vol.  8,  p.  106. 


INTRODUCTION 


xxiii 


He  cast  off  the  prejudice  of  Sephardic  Jews,  who  refused  to  ally  them¬ 
selves  with  the  Jews  of  the  Ashkenazic  type.  His  wife,  Judith  Cohen, 
was  of  German  parentage. 

In  1827,  accompanied  by  his  wife,  he  made  the  first  trip  to  his  an¬ 
cestral  land.  Eleven  years  later  he  visited  Palestine  again,  when  he  ob¬ 
tained  concessions  from  Mohammed  Ali  to  establish  several  hundred 
families  in  Palestine.  But  the  outbreak  of  war  hindered  his  plans  from 
being  realized.  The  blood  accusation  in  Damascus  brought  him  to  the 
East  again,  and  while  there  he  became  more  convinced  than  ever  that 
the  solution  of  the  Jewish  question  in  the  East  can  be  accomplished  only 
by  establishing  Jewish  agricultural  colonies  in  Palestine.  He  was  the 
first  Jew  in  modern  times  to  stimulate  a  liking  for  agriculture  among 
his  people. 

The  first  Zionist  association  was  called  the  Montefiore  Society.  He 
was  indeed  happy  when  on  his  hundredth  birthday  he  was  notified  that 
the  Kattowitz  conference  had  decided  to  found  an  institution  under  the 
name  “Mazkereth  Moshe,”  for  the  purpose  of  promoting  agriculture 
among  Jews  and  of  assisting  Jewish  colonists  in  Palestine. 

Seven  times  he  visited  the  ancient  land,  and  before  he  passed  away 
he  saw  the  fruit  o(  his  labor  being  ripened.  He  saw  in  the  systematic 
labor  of  the  people  of  Israel  and  in  the  maintenance  and  development 
of  Hebrew  Culture  the  surest  foundation  for  the  regeneration  of  the 
people  and  for  the  growth  of  liberty  and  independence.  His  personal 
knowledge  of  Palestine  extended  over  a  period  of  nearly  half  a  cen¬ 
tury,  and  during  all  that  time  he  had  been  associated  with  nearly  every 
important  event  connected  with  the  history  of  his  people.23 

Was  it  a  mere  coincidence  that  the  three  great  Jews  in  the  early 
part  of  the  nineteenth  century  who  were  impressed  with  national  con¬ 
sciousness  were  of  Spanish  Jewish  origin  ?  Or  was  it  destiny  that 
stirred  the  proud  Spanish  Jews  imbued  with  the  spirit  of  independence 
and  relentless  tenacity  to  advocate  the  Jewish  National  idea?  Among 
the  names  that  loom  up  very  brightly  in  the  history  of  the  Jewish  national 
renaissance  is  that  of  Benjamin  Disraeli,  another  Sephardic  Jew. 

After  visiting  Palestine  in  the  year  1831,  Disraeli  became  not  only 
an  ardent  lover  of  Zion,  but  also  a  strong  believer  in  Jewish  National¬ 
ism,  in  the  purity  of  the  Jewish  race,  and  in  the  theory  of  the  superi- 

*'  See  Diaries  of  Sir  Moses  and  Lady  Montefiore,  Ed.  by  Dr.  L.  Loewe,  Vol.  I  and  Vol. 

II,  Chicago,  1800.  See  Sefer  Hazeelironoth  1’  Montefiore,  pp.  64-65. 


xxiv 


INTRODUCTION 


ority  of  the  oriental  races.  In  his  romance,  “Alroy,”24  he  saw  the 
Jewish  vision  of  the  Return,  though  he  veiled  it  in  mysteries.  In  this 
book  he  manifests  his  “Ideal  Ambition”  when  he  introduces  his  hero, 
David  Alroy,  who  was  rousing  the  dormant  powers  of  his  people  to 
wonderful  heroism  and  victory.  He  emphasises  that  the  longing  for 
a  home  in  Zion  must  proceed  from  a  deep  feeling  for  Judaism  in  all  its 
aspects  and  not  from  any  need  for  a  refuge.  He  makes  clear  that  the 
idea  of  Zionism  was  not  to  create  a  Jewish  Nationality  elsewhere,  but 
to  dwell  once  more  in  Zion.  He  shuns  the  assimilation  of  the  Jews  with 
other  people  and  attributes  the  failure  of  David  Alroy  to  his  promiscu¬ 
ous  marriage  with  an  Arabian  princess.  When  Jabaster,  the  high  priest, 
learns  that  Alroy  intends  to  commit  the  sin  of  Solomon  and  marry  a 
foreign  princess,  he  comes  in  dismay  to  Alroy.  The  latter  asked  him 
what  he  would  have  him  do.  Jabaster  replied:  “You  ask  me  what  I 
wish?  My  answer  is,  the  land  of  promise;  you  ask  me  what  I  wish? 
My  answer  is — Jerusalem;  you  ask  me  what  I  wish?  My  answer  is 
— the  temple,  all  for  which  we  have  fought — our  beauteous  country, 
our  holy  creed,  our  simple  manners  and  our  customs.”25 

Disraeli’s  deep  yearning  for  Zion  can  best  be  gathered  from 
the  following  utterance  of  his  hero,  David  Alroy:  “and  Alroy  gazed  upon 
the  silent  loneliness  of  the  earth  and  a  tear  stole  down  his  haughty 
cheeks.  ’Tis  singular,  but  when  I  am  thus  alone  at  this  still  hour. 
I  ever  fancy  I  gaze  upon  the  land  of  Promise.  And  often,  in  my 
dreams,  some  sunny  spot,  the  bright  memorial  of  a  roving  hour,  will 
rise  upon  my  sight,  and,  when  I  wake,  I  feel  as  if  I  had  been  in  Canaan. 
Why  am  I  not?  .  .  .  But  I  rest  here,  my  miserable  life  running  to  seed  in 
the  dull  misery  of  this  wretched  city,  and  do  nothing.  Why !  the  old  cap¬ 
tivity  was  an  empire  to  our  inglorious  bondage.  We  have  no  Esther  now 
to  share  our  thrones;  no  politic  Mordecai,  no  purple-vested  Daniel.  O, 
Jerusalem!  Jerusalem!  I  do  believe  one  sight  of  thee  would  nerve  me  to 

the  sticking  point . And  yet  to  gaze  upon  thy  fallen  state . 

’Tis  horrible.  Is  there  no  hope?”26 

His  absolute  conviction  of  the  ultimate  restoration  of  his  people 
to  the  promised  land  as  an  independent  nation  is  best  illustrated  by  the 
following  passage.  Tancred  remarks,  “The  vineyards  of  Israel  have 
ceased  to  exist,  but  the  Eternal  enjoined  the  children  of  Israel  still  to 


14  Published  In  the  year  1833. 
18  Alroy,  Pt.  8,  Ch.  VI,  p.  144. 
i6  lb.,  Pt.  1,  Ch.  II,  p.  18. 


INTRODUCTION 


XXT 


celebrate  the  vintage.  A  race  that  persists  in  celebrating  their  vintage, 
although  they  have  no  fruits  to  gather,  will  regain'  their  vineyards.”27 

In  his  “Coningsby,”  he  gives  support  to  the  theory  of  racial  en¬ 
durance  and  purity  of  race.  “Do  you  think,”  said  Sidonia  to  Coningsby, 
“that  the  great  humdrum  persecution  of  a  decorous  representative  of 
an  English  University  can  crush  those  who  have  successfully  baffled 
the  Pharaohs,  Nebuchadnezzar,  Rome  and  the  Feudal  ages?  The  fact 
is  you  cannot  destroy  a  pure  race  of  Caucasian  origin.  It  is  a  physi¬ 
ological  fact,  a  simple  law  of  nature  which  has  baffled  Egypt  and  As¬ 
syrian  Kings,  Roman  Emperors  and  Christian  Inquisitors.  No  penal 
law,  no  physical  torture  can  effect  that  a  superior  race  should  be  ab¬ 
sorbed  in  an  inferior  or  destroyed  by  it,  and  at  this  moment,  in  spite 
of  centuries  of  degradation,  the  Jewish  mind  exercises  a  vast  influence 
on  the  affairs  of  Europe.  I  speak  not  of  their  laws  which  you  still  obey, 
of  their  literature  with  which  your  minds  are  saturated,  but  of  the  liv¬ 
ing  Hebrew  intellect . You  never  observe  a  great  intellectual 

movement  in  Europe  in  which  the  Jews  do  not  greatly  participate.”28 

The  publication  of  Daniel  Deronda  (1876)  made  a  stirring  impres¬ 
sion  in  certain  quarters  of  European  Jewry.  It  came  as  a  precursor 
to  the  political  Zionism  proposed  by  Theodor  Herzl — in  his  pamphlet, 
“The  Jewish  State,”  twenty  years  later,  (1896).  Its  author,  George 
Eliot,  puts  into  the  mouth  of  Mordecai  Cohen  the  ideas  and  aspirations 
of  political  Zionism.  In  his  arguments  before  the  philosophical  club 
he  gives  support  to  a  national  Jewish  policy,  so  powerful  in  its  claim 
that  all  differences  of  opinion  must  be  set  aside  in  order  to  make  the 
restoration  of  Israel  to  Zion  a  reality. 

“There  is,”  said  Mordecai,  “a  store  of  wisdom  among  us  to  found 
a  new  Jewish  polity,  grand,  simple,  just  like  the  old — a  republic  where 
there  is  equality  of  protection . Then  our  race  shall  have  an  or¬ 

ganic  centre,  a  heart  and  brain  to  watch  and  guide  and  execute ;  the  out¬ 
raged  Jew  shall  have  a  defense  in  the  court  of  nations  as  the  outraged 
Englishman  or  American.  And  the  world  will  gain  as  Israel  gains.” 

In  Mordecai’s  opinion  the  new  birth  of  Judaism  as  a  carrier  of  cul¬ 
ture  and  a  teacher  of  ethics  is  indissolubly  connected  with  the  new  birth 
of  the  Jewish  race  as  a  Nation.  “For  there  will  be  a  community,”  he 
said,  “in  the  van  of  the  east  which  carries  the  culture  and  the  sym¬ 
pathies  of  every  great  nation  in  its  bossom.”28b 

27  Tancred,  Bk.  V.,  Chap.  VI,  p.  272. 

28  Coningsby,  Ch.  XV,  p.  183. 

28b  Daniel  Deronda,  Ch.  XLII,  p.  492. 


xxvi 


INTRODUCTION 


Eliot  dreamt  of  a  neutralized  Palestine  by  international  guarantee 
of  powers  as  it  was  later  adopted  at  the  first  Basle  Congress. 

“There  will  be,”  said  Mordecai,  “a  land  set  for  halting-place  for  enmities,  a  neutral 
ground  for  the  east  as  Belgium  is  for  the  west.  Difficulties?  I  know  there  are  difficulties. 
Let  the  spirit  of  sublime  achievements  move  in  the  great  among  our  people  and  the  work 
will  begin.  Let  the  central  fire  be  kindled  again  and  the  light  will  reach  afar,  the  degraded 
and  scorned  of  our  race  will  learn  to  think  of  their  sacred  land  not.  as  a  place  for  saintly 
beggary  to  await  death  in  loathsome  idleness  but  as  a  republic  where  the  Jewish  spirit 
manifests  itself  in  a  new'  order  founded  on  the  old  purified,  enriched  by  the/  experience  our 
greatest  sons  have  gathered  from  the  life  of  the  ages.  .  .  . 

The  resumption  of  the  soil  of  the  Holy  Land  by  the  holy  people  is 
in  Mordecai’s  view  the  only  logical  position  of  a  Jew  who  wishes  that 
the  long  travail  of  ages  may  not  end  in  total  disappearance*  of  the  race. 

George  Eliot  portrayed  in  her  book  the  various  types  of  Jews.  In 
Mordecai  she  saw  the  Ghetto  dreamer,  yearning  and  hoping  for  a  na¬ 
tional  glory.  In  the  characters  of  Pash,  Gideon,,  Buchan,  Miller,  Ezra 
Cohen  and  Alcharizi  she  pictured  the  assimilator,  the  reformer,  the  in¬ 
different  and  the  ultra-orthodox. 

Mordecai’s  teaching  became  the  text  book  of  the  new  national  party 
in  Judaism,  and  the  rallying  cry  of  the  movement  are  the  following 
phrases:  “Revive  the  organic  centre;  let  the  unity  of  Israel  which  has 
made  the  growth  and  form  of  its  religion  be  an  outward  reality.  Look¬ 
ing  toward  a  land  and  a  polity,  our  dispersed  people  in  all  the  ends  of 
the  earth  may  share  the  dignity  of  a  national  life  which  has  a  voice 
among  the  peoples  of  the  East  and  the  West — which  will  plant  the  wis¬ 
dom  and  skill  of  our  race  so  that  it  may  be,  as  of  old,  a  medium  of  trans¬ 
mission  and  understanding.  Let  that  come  to  pass,  and  the  living 
warmth  will  spread  to  the  weak  extremities  of  Israel,  and  superstition 
will  vanish,  not  in  the  lawlessness  of  the  renegade,  but  in  the  illumina¬ 
tion  of  great  facts  which  widen  feelings,  and  make  all  knowledge  alive  as 
the  young  offspring  of  beloved  memories.”29 

Most  striking  are  the  remarks  of  her  hero,  Daniel  Deronda:  “I  am  going  to  the  East,” 
said  he,  “to  become  better  acquainted  with  the  condition  of  my  race  in  various  countries 
there  .  .  .  The  idea  that  I  am  possessed  with,  is  that  of  restoring  a  political1  existence 
to  my  people,  making  them  a  nation  again,  giving  them  a  national  centre  such  as  the  English 
have,  though  they,  too,  are  scattered  over  the  face  of  the  globe.  That  is  a  task  which 
presents’  itself  to  me  as  a  duty.  I  am  resolved  to  begin  it,  however  feebly ;  I  am  resolved 
to  devote  my  life  to  it.  At  the  least  I  may  awaken  a  movement  in  other  minds  such  as  has 
been  awakened  in  my  own.”  80 

In  another  place  he  says,  “If  we  look  back  to  the  history  of  efforts  which  have  made 
great  changes,  it  is  astonishing  how  many  of  them  seemed  hopeless  to  those  who  looked  on 
in  the  beginning.  Take  what  we  have  all  heard  and  seen  something  of — the  effort  after  the 
unity  of  Italy  which  we  are  SURE  SOON  TO  SEE  accomplished  to  the  very  last  boundary. 


29  Daniel  Deronda,  Ch.  XLII,  p.  492. 

30  lb.,  LXIX,  p.  742. 


INTRODUCTION 


xxvii 


Look  into  Mazzini’s  account  of  his  first  yearning  when  he  was  a  boy,  after  a  restored 
greatness,  and  a  new  freedom  for  Italy  and  of  his  efforts  as  a  young  man  to  arouse  the  same 
feeling  in  other  young  men.  Almost  everything  seemed  against  him ;  his  countrymen  were 
ignorant  or  indifferent,  government  hostile,  Europe  incredulous.  Of  course  the  scorners  often 
seemed  wise,  yet  you  see  the  prophesy  lay  with  him.  .  .  81 

Another  Jewish  hero  by  the  name  of  Daniel,  in  the  play,  “La 
Femme  de  Claude,”  by  Alexander  Dumas  Fils,  said:  “We  have  come 
to  an  epoch  when  each  race  has  resolved  to  claim  and  to  have 
as  its  own  its  soil,  its  home,  its  language,  its  temple.  It  is  long  enough 
since  we  Jews  have  been  dispossessed  of  all  that; — we  have  been  forced 
to  insinuate  ourselves  into  the  interstices  of  the  nations  and  there  we 
have  taken  up  the  interests  of  governments,,  of  societies,  of  individuals. 
This  is  a  great  deal,  yet  it  is  not  enough.  People  still  believe  that  per¬ 
secution  has  dispersed  us ;  it  has  merely  spread  us  over  the  world.  .  .  . 
We  do  not  want  to  be  a  group  any  more.  We  want  to  be  more  than  a 
people — a  nation.  The  ideal  name  does  not  suffice  us ;  the  fixed  terri¬ 
torial  fatherland  is  again  necessary  for  us  and  I  go  to  seek  it  and  to 
obtain  there  our  legalized  birth  certificate.”32 

Another  English  novelist — Sir  Walter  Scott- -speaks  through  his 
heroine,  “Rebecca,”  words  of  sympathy  and  hope  for  an  independent 
future  of  Israel.  “I  am  indeed,”  said  Rebecca  to  Ivanhoe,  “sprung  from 
a  race  whose  courage  was  distinguished  in  defense  of  the  land,  but  who 
warred  not  even  while  yet  a  nation  save  in  defending  the  country  from 
oppression.  The  sound  of  the  trumpet  wakes  Judah  no  longer  and  her 
despoiled  children  are  now  but  the  unresisting  victims  of  hostile  and 
military  oppression.  .  .  .  Until  the  God  of  Jacob  shall  raise  up  for  his 
chosen  people  a  second  Gideon  or  a  new  Maccabeus,  it  ill  beseemeth  the 
Jewish  damsel  to  speak  of  battle  or  of  war.  .  .  .  Would  to  heaven  that 
the  shedding  of  mine  own  blood  drop  by  drop  could  redeem  the  cap¬ 
tivity  of  Judah.  .  .  ,33 

Byron,  the  popular  English  poet,  has  evoked  in  his  Hebrew  Melo¬ 
dies  respect  and  sympathy  for  the  exiled  Jew  and  stirred  his  readers  to 
highest  pitch  of  hope  and  admiration  for  the  promised  land. 

In  “The  Wild  Gazelle,”  Israel  bemoans  his  lot  and  is  envious  of  the 
palms  of  the  “Sharon”  that  still  shade  its  plains. 

31  lb.,  Ch.  XLII,  p.  495. 

32  See  Mac.,  Vol.  II,  p.  256. 

33  Ivanhoe,  Ch.  X,  p.  207. 


axviii 


INTRODUCTION 


“More  blessed  each  palm  that  shades  these  plains 
Than  Israel’s  scattered  race; 

In  solitary  grace. 

It  cannot  quit  its  place  of  birth, 

It  will  not  live  in  other  earth. 

} 

But  we  must  wander  witheringly 
In  other  lands  to  die, 

And  where  our  fathers’  ashes  be 
Our  own  may  never  lie ; 

Our  temple  hath  not  left  a  stone, 

And  mockery  sits  on  Salem’s  throne.” 

In  the  same  strain  the  poet  pours  out  his  heart  in  the  next  poem  * 

"“Oh !  weep  for  those  that  wept  by  Babel’s  streams 
Whose  shrines  are  desolated,  whose  land  a  dream, 

Weep  for  the  harp  of  Judah’s  broken  shell; 

Mourn — where  their  God  hath  dwelt,  the  godless  dwell. 

And  where  shall  Israel  lave  her  bleeding  feet? 

And  when  shall  Zion’s  songs  again  seem  sweet? 

And  Judah’s  melody  once  more  rejoice 

The  hearts  that  leaped  its  heavenly  voice? 

Tribes  of  the  wandering  foot  and  weary  breast, 

How  shall  ye  flee  and  be  at  rest? 

The  wild  dove  hath  her  nest,  the  fox  his  cave, 

Mankind  their  Country — Israel  but  the  grave.”34 

One  is  indeed  surprised  that  the  theories  developed  in  “Daniel  De- 
Tonda”  and  the  sentiments  expressed  by  the  other  English  writers 
should  not  have  called  out  more  enthusiasm  among  the  English  Jews 
for  the  Zionist  ideal.  The  English  Jews  appear  to  have  been  perfectly 
contented  with  themselves.  They  were  resting  securely  under  the 
warm  cloak  of  equality  with  which  “Legal  Emancipation”  had  covered 
them.  Of  their  duties  towards  their  unfortunate  co-religionists  of  East¬ 
ern  Europe  they  felt  absolved  by  “Shtadlonuth”  and  philanthropy. 

Upon  the  Christian  Englishmen,  however,  the  works  of  Disraeli 
and  Eliot  made  a  great  impression.  Holman  Hunt,  the  painter,  working 


*4  Hebrew  Melodies. 


INTRODUCTION 


xxu& 


under  the  influence  of  the  great  novelists,  favored  the  restoration  of 
Palestine  to  the  Jews  in  the  interest  of  European  civilization,  be¬ 
cause  Palestine  may  become  the  bone  of  contention  between  the  powers 
and  may  provoke  war  of  the  most  brutal  kind.  “The  Greek  Church  will 
fight  in  her  interest,”  he  said.  “The  Latin  nations  for  theirs,  the  Teu¬ 
tons  for  pan-Germanic  political  benefit,  and  England,  owing  to  its  prox^ 
imity  to  Egypt,  cannot  afford  the  land  to  go  over  to  any  great  power* 
will  fight  for  herself.” 

Cazalet,  another  Englishman,  advocated  (1879)  the  establishment 

of  a  British  protectorate  over  Palestine,  and  to  attract  large  numbers  of 
Jews  who  would  promote  industry  and  agriculture,  he  suggested  that 
the  government  should  provide  employment  for  the  Jewish  settlers.  He 
also  favored  the  founding  of  a  great  university  which  shall  be  the  rec¬ 
ognized  Jewish  centre  of  learning  in  philosophy  and  Jewish  Science. 
He  assures  the  English  of  the  Jewish  loyalty  to  the  English  Nation. 

The  eminent  diplomat  and  friend  of  the  Jews,  Laurence  Oliphant 
(1829-1888),  was  not  satisfied  with  theorizing  alone.  He  proceeded  to 
Palestine  and  established  himself  on  the  Carmel  near  Haifa,  where  he 
studied  the  conditions  of  the  land.  He  .proposed  to  form  a  stock  com¬ 
pany  with  a  capital  of  ten  million  rubles  to  buy  a  large  tract  of  land 
beyond  the  Jordan  in  the  land  of  Gilead,  where  the  Jews  of  Russia* 
Roumania  and  Asiatic  Turkey  were  to  be  established.  He  failed,  how¬ 
ever,  to  obtain  the  concessions  for  his  scheme  from  the  Porte. 

The  plan  of  Col.  Gawler,  an  English  officer  (1845),  met  with  the 
same  fate.  He  has  the  credit  of  having  organized  the  first  Jewish  colo¬ 
nization  association.  The  war  then  raging  in  the  East  shattered  his 
plans. 

A  reference  to  a  guaranteed  Jewish  state  in  Palestine  may  be  found 
in  a  pamphlet  by  the  Palestinian  explorer,  Sir  Charles  Warren  (1875). 
He  was  probably  the  first  to  propose  that  Palestine  be  exploited  by  a 
company  similar  to  that  of  the  old  East  India  Company.  He  made  a 
part  of  his  plan  the  re-establishment  of  the  Jewish  people.  “Let  this 
be  done,”  he  said,  “with  the  avowed  intention  of  gradually  introducing 
the  Jew,  pure  and  simple,  who  is  eventually  to  occupy  and  govern  this 
country.”  “Let  the  Jew  find  his  way  into  its  army,  its  law,  its  diplo¬ 
matic  service.  Let  him  superintend  the  farming  and  work  himself  on' 
the  farms.  I  do  not  say  let  him  find  his  way  into  the  mercantile  com¬ 
munity,  into  the  trade,  for  he  is  there  already.  Let  this  continue  until 
the  end  of  twenty  years,  the  Jewish  principality  may  stand  by  itself 


XXX 


INTRODUCTION 


either  under  the  suzerainty  of  Stamboul,  if  Turkey  still  exists  as  a 
whole,  or  else  as  a  separate  kingdom,  guaranteed  by  great  powers.83 

Another  Palestinian  explorer — Col.  C.  R.  Conder — addressing  a 
meeting  of  English  Zionists,  remarks : 

“It  is  one  of  the  most  extraordinary  things  in  the  history  of  the  world  that  a  nation 
like  yours,  one  in  religion,  one  by  blood,  one  in  youtf  sacred  language,  decidedly  a  nation, 
should  yet  be  a  people;  which  really  has  a  national  country  known  and  recognized,  by  all 
the  world.  It  is  known  that  Palestine  is  the  home  of  the  Jew  .  .  .  It  is  good  to  cherish 

the  idea  of  going  home.  There  are  a  great  many  Englishmen  who  do  not\  remain!  in  Eng¬ 
land  .  .  .  but  almost  every  other  nation  has  a  national  centre  and  the  spirit  of  nationalism 
has  gradually  spread  all  over  Europe.” 

“It  seems  to  me,”  he  continues,  “that  the  solution  of  the  rivalries  and  ambitions  of  many 
nations  towards  Palestine  would  consist  in  its  neutralization  of  Palestine,  which  should  be 
made  into  a  West  Asian  Switzerland,  and  who  have  more  right  than  the  ancient  race  to  which 
It  belonged?” 

“The  Palestine  question  must  be  raised  some  day  and  then  European  statesmen  will  in¬ 
quire  what  claim  you  have.  Will  you  be  able  to  say  that  you  are  the  inhabitants  of  the 
country?  If  you  do  not  set  up  a  claim,  some  one  else  will  tr$  and  obtain  the  land  for 
themselves.  . 

“I  remember  that  not  so  long  ago  the  whole  of  British  Europe  was  governed  by  a  Jew. 
If  a  man  of  that  ability  could  be  found  who  could  govern  a  people  not  his  own,  and  govern 
a  particularly  stubborn  people  such  as  the  English,  I  do  not  see  why  it  should  be  impossible 
for  Jews  to  govern  a  country  not  larger  than  the  Wales.”  He  concludes  by  saying — “I  most 
sincerely  believe  that  in  the  time  of  the  present  generation  you  will  become  a|  people,  scat¬ 
tered  no  doubt  all  over  the  world,  but  with  a  home  you  can  turn  to  as  the  home  of  the  race, 
or  you  will  be  swTallowed  up  in  the  nations  among  whom  you  dwell  and  there  will  be  no 
Israel  at  all.” 

Among  the  leading  English  statesmen  who  favored  the  return  of 
Palestine  to  the  Jews  was  the  Prime  Minister,  Lord  Salisbury.  Mr. 
Arthur  Balfour,  brother-in-law  of  Lord  Salisbury,  while  in  a  tour  through 
Canada  narrated  the  following  story  to  a  prominent  Canadian  Zionist: 

“On  one  occasion  Lord  Salisbury  was  reproached  by  a  friend  of  his 
for  taking  such  a  radical  view.  ‘How  can  you,  as  a  Christian,  permit 
the  Jews  to  be  master  over  the  tomb  of  Jesus?’  Lord  Salisbury  coolly 
replied :  T  think  there  is  nothing  more  appropriate  than  that  the  tomb 
of  Jesus  (the  Holy  Sepulchre)  should  be  guarded  by  his  own  brethren.’ ,r 

While  many  Christians  looked  upon  the  restoration  of  Jews  to  Pal¬ 
estine  in  a  sympathetic  manner,  English  Jewry  can  boast  of  only  one 
at  that  period  who  was  deeply  interested  in  Palestine : — the  late  Sir 
Moses  Montefiore,  who  as  early  as  1840  laid  his  plans  before  Mohammed 
Ali  to  colonize  Palestine  with  Jews. 

The  chord  of  passionate  sentiment,  however,  was  not  struck  in  vain. 
It  gradually  worked  its  way  through  and  found  champions  among  think¬ 
ing  Jews,  foremost  among  whom  was  Prof.  David  Kaufman,  of  Buda¬ 
pest  (1855-1899),  who,  referring  to  Daniel  Deronda,  asks,  “Who  will 


»  See  Mac,  Vol.  VII,  1904,  p.  126. 


INTRODUCTION 


xxxi 


dare  to  say  what  may  not  result  from  the  rising  flood  of  feelings  in  the 
heart  of  Jews?  Who  will  dare  to  insist  that  the  imponderable  mass  of 
the  indefinite  feelings  and  vague  impulses  which  the  march  of  centuries 
has  rather  increased  than  decreased  in  the  souls  of  the  Jewish  people, 
will  pass  without  leaving  any  trace?”36 

In  an  essay  published  1877  he  questions  “Are  Jews  still  a  people,  a  sickly  body  indeed, 
but  one  to  which  youth  and  body  may  return,  or  a  bleached  and  scattered  heap  of  bones?" 
He  came  to  the  conclusion  that  Judaism  has  at  all  times  been  more  than  a  mere  religion 
for  its  adherents  and  that  Judaism  today  is  awakening  to  and  strengthening  in  national 
self-consciousness.  “The  history  of  the  German  Pulpit  Eloquence  among  the  Jews,”  said 
Prof.  Kaufman,  “will  have  to  take  note  of  this.  It  must  be  made  plain  that  the  Jews  have 
begun  to  recognize  a  nationality  in  Judaism  and  a  nationality  that  cannot  be  laid  aside 
as  a  garment. 

“What  wTill  follow  the  awakening  which  in  recent  times  has  so  wonderfully  transformed 
the  maps  of  Europe?  Will  that  inspire  the  Jew's  also  to  be  in  earnest  wfith  the  hope  of 
thousands  of  years  and  turn  their  patient  longing  into  rapid  action?  .  .  .  The  events  of 

universal  history  cannot  be  reckoned  upon  either  by  the  short-sightedness  of  the  Philistine 
or  by  the  narrow-sightedness  of  the  student.  When  the  hour  wras  ripe  an  Augustine  monk 
became  the  father  of  reformation  .  .  .  Thef  nine-time  wise  of  the  Babylonians  captivity 

smiled  contemptuously  at  the  fire  of  the  prophets  and  looked  down  with  pity  on  the  miser¬ 
able  creatures)  whose  crazy  infatuation  it  was  to  rebuild  the  Temple.  But  from  the  midst 
of  these  very  sufferers  arose  minds  to  herald  a  new  epoch  for  Judah  and  to  bring  immor¬ 
tality  to  Judaism,  and  lierei  again  when  the  race  lay  broken  on  the  ground  under  Roman 
yoke,  Bar  Kochbah  and  a  host  of  warriors  compelled  Rome  to  send  their  ablest  commander 
to  coerce  them,  and  the  victory  of  the  Romans  was  not  an  easy  one  .  .  .  The  defenders  of 
Jerusalem  and  the  heroes  of  Bethar  surely  did  not  bleed  in  vain. 

“Should  not  the  lesson  be  drawn  that  the  deep-rooted  love  and  longing  for  Palestine  is 
something  more  than  a  barren  dream  of  foolish  enthusiast  feelings.” 

He  concludes  by  saying  the  History  of  Judaism  presents  a  number  of  such  figures. 

“Ezra  and  Nehemiah  succeeded  to  be  prophets  of  the  captivity ;  John  of  Gischala  stands 
beside  Judas  Maccabeus;  Akiba  ben  Joseph  defends  the  star-son  of  Bethar  and  even 
through  the  darkness  of  the  middle  ages  gleams  the  fire  pillar  of  Judah  Halevi.  Shall  we 
some  day  be  able  to  say  and  so  on.”37 

Among  the  most  remarkable  personalities  who  could  see  far  in  the 
future  and  become  of  the  “so  on”  type  in  this  history  of  the  Jewish  Na¬ 
tional  revival,  is  Emma  Lazarus.  In  “An  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews”  she 
gives  us  her  hopes  and  aims  and  her  ideals : 

“My  plea  for  the  establishment  of  a  free  Jewdsh  State,”  she  writes,  “has  not  the  smallest 
bearing  upon  the  position  of  the  American  Jew.  My  sole  desire  is  to  arouse  in  my  fellow 
citizen  a  deeper  and  fuller  appreciation  of  the  fact  that  millions  of  human  beings  belonging 
to  the  Jewish  race  and  faith,  are  despoiled  of  their  rights  of  justice  and  freedom,  and  it 
behooves  us  in  our  prosperity  to  assist  in  alleviating  their  lot  ...  A  home  for  the  home¬ 
less,  a  goal  for  the  wmnderer,  an  asylum  for  the  persecuted,  a  nation  for  the  denationalized, 
such  is  the  need  of  our  generation,  and  w'hether  it.  be  voiced  in  the  hissing  denunciation  of 
anti-Semitism,  in  the  enthusiasm  of  helpful  Christian  advocates,  or  in  the  piteous  appeal 
from  Hungary  and  Galicia,  from  Bessarabia;  and  Warsaw,  from  Berlin  and  Dresden,  the 
call  is  too  distinct  for  misconstruction  and  too  loud  to  remain  ignored  and  unanswered.  “The 
vision  is  there,  it  wdll  be  fulfilled,”  said  George  Eliot.  “The  Jews  of  America  do  not  consider 
that  whether  their  offer  or  refused  co-operation  in  the  glorious  scheme  of  repatriation  grad- 


38  See  Jos.  Jacobs,  Jewdsh  Ideals,  p.  117. 

87  See  David  Kaufman  in  Monatsschrift,  1877,  p.  266.  Also  Mac  X,  p.  13. 


xxxii 


INTRODUCTION 


ually  assuming  definite  proportion  before  tbe  eyes  of  a  skeptical  world,  that  scheme  will 
nevertheless  be  promoted  and  realized.  In  the  words  of  the  Talmud  ‘It  is  not  incumbent 
upon  thee  to  complete  the  work;  thou  must  therefore  not  cease  from  pursuing  it.'  ”  38 

Of  all  the  Jews  of  English  birth,  the  late  Col.  A.  E.  W.  Goldsmid 
was  the  first  to  recognize  and  feel  that  only  a  national  destiny  made 
Jewish  life  worth  all  the  struggle.  His  love  for  the  Hebrew  language 
knew  no  bounds.  It  is  said  that  he  declared  to  one  of  his  friends  that  if 
the  Messiah  came  and  could  not  speak  Hebrew  with  the  Sephardic  ac¬ 
cent,  he  would  not  believe  he  was  Messiah.  When  the  congregation 
where  he  belonged,  desired  to  omit  all  reference  to  Zion  from'  the  prayer 
book,  he  immediately  withdrew.  Goldsmid  stumped  throughout  the 
length  and  breadth  of  England  seeking  the  creation  of  a  Jewish  State. 
When  he  took  upon  himself  the  management  of  the  Hirsch  Colonies  in 
Argentine,  he  exclaimed:  “We  begin  at  A — and  end  with  Z !”  He  helped 
to  organize  the  Paris  Central  Committee  of  the  “Hovevei  Zion.” 

It  is  said  that  George  Eliot  had  in  mind  Goldsmid  when  she  por¬ 
trayed  the  picture  of  Daniel  Deronda.  “Give  me  any  place,”  he  declared 
in  the  course  of  a  lecture,  “where  I  can  organize  the  Jews  on  the  basis 
of  their  individual  Jewish  existence  and  nothing  in  the  world  will  pre¬ 
vent  our  getting  to  Palestine.38 

The  first  step  in  modern  times  to  give  the  Jewish  National  move¬ 
ment  a  political  status  was  undertaken  by  the  Rev.  Wm.  E.  Blackstone, 
of  Chicago,  who  as  chairman  of  a  conference  held  in  Chicago,  in  the 
summer  of  1891,  proposed  that  a  memorandum  be  presented  to  Presi¬ 
dent  Benjamin  Harrison  and  Secretary  of  State  James  G.  Blaine,  to  call 
at  an  early  date  an  international  conference  to  consider  the  Jewish  ques¬ 
tion  and  their  claim  to  Palestine  as  their  ancient  home.  This  memo¬ 
randum  was  signed  by  five  hundred  of  the  most  prominent  and  influ¬ 
ential  Americans, — Christians  and  Jews,  and  was  presented  personally 
by  the  Rev.  Blackstone,  but  nothing  became  of  that  agitation,  as  the 
American  Jews  did  not  follow  up  the  work  of  Mr.  Blackstone,  and  the 
document,  as  a  result,  remained  in  the  archives  of  the  State  Department 
in  Washington.39 

HOBEBEI  ZION  PERIOD 

While  Western  Europe  was  thus  theorizing  over  the  question  of 
colonization  of  Palestine,  the  Jew  of  Eastern  Europe,  who  was  denied 
all  privileges  of  secular  education,  and  whose  mental  activities,  with  a 

39  An  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  The  American  Hebrew,  1SS2-1S83. 

39  Mac,  1004,  p.  239. 

89  See  pamphlet,  “Palestine  and  the  .Tew,”  presented  to  President  Harrison,  March  5,  1891- 


THE  CEDAR  THAT  HERZL  PLANTED  IN  COLONY  MOZAH 

(See  Page  212) 


•p 


THE  COLONY  MOZAH 


(See  Page  212) 


THE  COLONY  BEN  SHEMEN. 


Founded  by  the 


National  Fund  in  the  year  1906 


A  YEMENITE  SHEPHERD 
In  the  National  Fund  Colony,  Ben  Shemen 


INTRODUCTION 


xxxiii 


few  exceptions,  were  confined  to  Talmudic  and  Rabbinic  studies,  could 
not  withstand  the  spirit  of  the  times.  Western  thought  penetrated  the 
walls  of  the  Russian  and  Galician  pales  and  made  its  way  even  through 
the  walls  of  the  Beth  Hamidrash,  where  it  assumed  the  name  “Haska- 
lah”  (the  Hebrew  word  for  enlightenment).  The  Hebrew  language, 
hitherto  used  for  ritual  purposes  only,  was  adopted  as  the  medium  for 
conveying  the  ne  wwestern  ideas.  It  was  the  language  best  under¬ 
stood  and  most  revered  by  the  student  of  the  “Yeshiba.”1 

Abraham  Mappu  (1808-1867)  was  probably  the  first2  in  Eastern 
Europe  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  new  Haskalah  generation  to  their 
ancient  land.  His  romance,  “Ahabath  Zion”  (The  Love  of  Zion),  and 
his  “Ashmath  Shomron”  (The  Transgression  of  Samaria),  both  master¬ 
pieces  of  literature,  have  made  multitudes  of  readers  enthusiastic  for 
the  land  of  their  ancestors.  ‘‘The  Love  of  Zion,” 3  is  an  histori¬ 
cal  romance,  the  first  novel  written  in  classic  Hebrew,  and  with 
the  exception  of  Wessely’s  “Songs  of  Glory”  and  Luzzatto’s  dramas, 
it  was  the  first  contribution  to  Hebrew  belles-lettres.  It  deals  with 
the  epoch  of  Jewish  history  in  the  days  of  Hezekiah,  King  of  Judah, 
and  Isaiah,  the  son  of  Amoz,  the  golden  age  of  Judea.  Here  the  pro¬ 
phet  appeals  to  the  various  factions  of  Israel  and  admonishes  the  boast¬ 
ing  King  of  Babylon  to  forsake  his  evil  ways.  The  reader  is  carried 
back  to  the  Judea  of  the  prophets  and  kings,  who  are  brought  to  life 
by  the  author.  All  the  splendor  of  the  once  great  Judea,  her  priests, 
Levites,  etc-,  pass  before  the  mind’s  eye.  One  can  almost  hear  the  mur¬ 
murs  of  the  Jordan,  the  growling  of  the  lions  and  leopards  of  the  Her- 
mon,  the  rustling  of  the  cedars  of  the  Lebanon.  Indeed,  the  very  air  is 
saturated  with  the  balmy  breeze  of  the  Sharon.  Mappu’s  remarkable 
command  of  the  language  of  the  Bible,  his  vigorous  style,  and  his 

1  The  Russian  language  was  not  held  in  high  esteem  by  the  Maskilim. 

s  In  the  interesting  Hebrew  Encyclopedia  Sepher  Ila-brith  (Book  of  the  Covenant)  by 
R.  Thineas  Elijah  ben  Meir,  of  Wilna  (Bruenn,  1795)  is  found  a  passage  about  Zionism 
which  sounds  very  modern.  The  Encyclopedist  says:  “Since  the  sages  say  that  the  very  air 
of  the  Holy  Land  is  stimulating,  it  is  indeed  surprising  that  the  Jews  who  have  been  bounti¬ 
fully  blessed  by  Providence  prefer  living  elsewhere  than  in  their  rightful  home,  the  inher¬ 
itance  of  their  forefathers.  They  should  bei  eager  to  return,  even  as  a  child  runs  to  its 
mother’s  arms  with  Joy.  We  are  called  “One  Nation,”  because  of  our  connection  with  the 
land  of  our  ancestors.” 

It  shows  that  even  In  the  time  of  the  author  there  were  some  who  were  interested  in 
the  return  of  the  Jews  to  Palestine  and  others  who  were  satisfied  to  remain  in  exile., See 
“Ma’amar  Sheb  i.”  Warsaw  ed.,  1SG9,  p.  30a.  Also  sed  George  Kohut  Mac.  II,  p.  4. 

*  Wilna,  1862.  „  , 


xxxiv 


INTRODUCTION 


splendid  description  of  nature  were  enchanting  to  his  readers  who  had1 
no  access  to  other  literatures.  It  awakened  a  longing  in  the  hearts  of 
the  young  generation  for  their  historic  land,  a  longing  dormant  in  the 
nation  for  eighteen  centuries4. 

What  Mappu  has  accomplished  in  his  poetic  novels,  Lebenson 
(1852-1888)  has  done  with  his  poetic  verse.  This  young  poet  was  prob¬ 
ably  the  first  genuine  Hebrew  poet  of  modern  times. 

Micha  Joseph,  as  he  was  known  to  Hebrew  readers,  brought  back 
to  youth  King  Solomon  and  Shulamith,  and  in  the  most  eloquent  man¬ 
ner  his  poetic  pen  has  painted  ancient  Judea.5  In  one  of  his  Zion  songs 
he  exclaims,  “Land  of  the  Muses,  perfection  of  Beauty!  Wherein  every 
stone  is  a  book,  every  rock  a  graven  tablet/’ 

Kalman  Schulman,  in  his  romance,  “Harisuth  Bether”  (The  De¬ 
struction  of  Bethar),  dealing  with  the  epoch  of  Bar  Kochba,  also  had  a 
great  influence  on  readers  in  kindling  and  maintaining  enthusiasm  for 
their  historic  land6.  The  impression  left  by  those  men  was  strength¬ 
ened  by  a  host  of  others  through  the  columns  of  the  Hebrew  weeklies, 
Hamaggid,  Hameliz,  Haz’phirah,  and  in  the  monthly,  Hashahar. 

The  weekly  agitations  carried  on  by  David  Gordon  (1826-1886)  in 
Hamaggid,  for  the  colonization  of  Palestine,  and  the  Messianic  idea 
expounded  so  clearly  by  Perez  Smolenskin  (1842-1885) 7,  brought  the 
Jewish  national  idea  close  to  the  hearts  of  the  people.  Smolenskin 
started  out  as  an  iconoclast,  uprooting  with  a  spade  of  reform  the  super¬ 
stitious  practices  of  his  people,  and  emerged  from  the  chaos  of  his  gen¬ 
eration  as  a  prophet.  He  offered  his  entire  life  for  his  people  and 
its  literature.  His  love  for  his  people  knew  no  bounds.  “I  will 
confess  unblushinglv,”  said  he,  writing  to  Prof.  David  Kauffman,  “that 
I  love  my  people  far  more  than  I  love  my  God.  It  moves  me  less  to 
hear  ill  spoken  of  the  God  of  Israel  than  it  would  to  hear  anything 
unfavorable  of  the  people  of  Israel.”  This  intense  love  for  his  people 
awakened  in  him  a  desire  to  rescue  his  suffering  and  outraged  brethren 
from  the  Russian  pogroms  of  1885. 

Next  to  his  love  for  his  people  was  his  love  for  the  Hebrew  lan¬ 
guage.  To  one  of  his  friends  who,  admiring  his  style  in  the  German 
vernacular,  insisted  that  he  write  in  that  language  “that  promises  a 

4  See  Renaissance  of  Hebrew  Literature,  by  N.  Slousobz,  Jewish  Pub.  Soc.  of  America 
p.  134. 

*  Shirei  Bath  Zion.  Wilna,  1S95.  See  the  Renaissance  of  Hebrew  Literature  by  Nahum 
Slouschz,  p.  112. 

a  lb.,  p.  128-29. 

7  lb.,  p.  223;  also  see  Am  Olam  (Wilna,  1873). 


INTRODUCTION 


xxxv 


better  future  for  him/’  he  replied,  “If  I  am  an  Othello,  do  you  want  me 
to  be  an  Iago  also?”  Nothing  could  distract  him  from  his  beloved 
Hebrew  muse* 8. 

Smolenskin  pointed  out  that  true  nationalism  is  thoroughly  in 
accord  with  the  realization  of  the  ideal  of  universal  brotherhood  of 
men.  For  the  first  time,  he  entirely  divested  the  Messianic  idea  of  its 
religious  element.  Among  other  things,  he  said,  “National  devotion  is 
but  a  higher  grade  of  devotion  to  family.  .  .  .  The  Messianic  idea 

is  nothing  but  a  hope  of  national  rebirth.  The  Messianic  era  will  be 
that  in  which  the  Jew  will  have  achieved  political  and  moral  emancipa¬ 
tion.  .  .  .  Why  should  the  Greeks  and  Roumanians  desire  a 

national  emancipation  and  the  people  of  the  Bible  not?”9  He  refutes 
the  theory  of  Mendelssohn,  who  declared  that  “Judaism  is  nothing  more 
than  a  religious  confession.”10 

His  antagonism  to  Mendelssohn’s  philosophy  regarding  Judaism 
was  most  uncompromising.  He  ascribes  whatever  is  corrupt  and  un- 
jewish  in  the  reform  teachings  to  the  influence  of  the  sage  of  Dessau 
and  his  followers.  He  accuses  Mendelssohn  of  inconsistency  for  being 
an  Orthodox  in  practice  and  a  Radical  at  heart.11  “The  son  of  Mena- 
hem”  (as  Mendelssohn  was  styled  by  Hebrew  writers),  he  said  “was  a 
trader,  not  a  Rabbi  nor  a  scholar  in  Jewish  science.  As  a  trader  he 
traded  with  his  people,  his  religion,  and  beliefs.”12 * *  He  even  accused 
Mendelssohn  of  plagiarizing  the  poetic  works  of  Ephraim  Kuh. 

The  active  propaganda  emanating  from  the  columns  of  the  Hasha- 
har — among  whose  contributors  may  be  mentioned  Ben  Yehudah,15 


8  See  lb.  128-29. 

8  In  Hebrew  be  was  a  purist  in  style.  He  endeavored  to  model  his  Hebrew  as  nearly  as 
possible  after  that  of  the  Prophets.  He  did  not,  however,  heap  up  purely  Biblical  expressions 
as  did  other  writers. 

9  See  Am  01am. 

19  Eth  Lata’ath. 

11  Eth  Lata’ath,  Chapter  1. 

12  Ha  To’eli  be-Darke  ha  Hayyim,  Pt.  IV,  12. 

11  Smolenskin  was  not  the  only  one  to  oppose  the  doctrine  of  Mendelssohn;  indeed  his  eon- 
temporary,  Professor  David  Kauffman,  said:  “Mendelssohn,  partly  on  account  of  his  singular 
want  of  historical  knowledge,  and  partly  on  account  of  his  dread  of  arousing  watchful  hatred, 
saw  himself  forced  to  deny  that  his  race  were  the  inheritors  of  a  separate  nationality.” 

Mendelssohn  was  also  much  opposed  by  many  contemporary  Rabbis,  particularly  by 
Rabbi  Moses  Sofer,  the  noted  Rabbi  of  Pressburg,  who  warned  his  sons  not  to  read  the 

works  of  Moses  of  Dessau.  “B’sifrei  Ra’ma’D,  al  tiskl’chu  yad.”  The  books  of  Moses  Des¬ 
sau  do  not  aproaeh  with  your  hand.) 

14  See  Ozar  Israel,  Pt.  VI,  237. 

15  Hashahar  x511-530. 


xxxvi 


INTRODUCTION 


who  in  a  series  of  articles,  proposed  the  colonization  of  Palestine  as  the 
only  means  to  save  Jews  and  Judaism — made  a  great  impression  upon 
the  intellectual  elements  of  European  Jewry. 

When  he  saw  that  the  “Alliance/’  opposed  to  the  movement  of 
colonization  of  Palestine,  was  encouraging  instead  immigration  to 
America,  he  published  in  his  “Monthly”  a  violent  criticism  of  that 
organization.  Smolenskin  made  efforts  to  form  a  company  for  the 
purchase  of  land  in  Palestine,  but  failing  in  his  enterprise,  he  jour¬ 
neyed  to  the  English  diplomat,  Laurence  Oliphant,  through  whom  he 
hoped  to  succeed  in  getting  European  powers  to  intervene  on  behalf  of 
colonization  of  Jews  in  Palestine.  His  early  death  prevented  him  from 
carrying  out  his  plans  for  the  people  he  loved.  His  biographer,  Reuben 
Brainin,  rightly  sums  up  the  character  of  Perez  Smolenskin :  “He  had  the 
faculty  of  dying  for  his  people,  not  of  living  for  it.”16 

This  new  ideal  soon  made  rapid  strides  among  the  rank  and  file  of 
the  Jews  of  Eastern  Europe,  most  of  whom  were  being  fearfully  ground 
down,  deprived  of  citizenship  and  oppressed  with  taxation  and  ex¬ 
actions  of  all  sorts.  In  Russia,  the  Jew  lost  confidence  in  the  idle 
promises  of  emancipation  and  equality  made  to  him  by  the  preachers  of 
assimilation,  during  the  reign  of  Alexander  II.  The  young  Russian  Jew, 
being  excluded  from  schools  and  all  walks  of  life,  treated  in  his  native 
land  as  an  alien,  exposed  to  scorn  and  ignominy  wherever  he  turned  by 
his  Russian  neighbors,  turned  his  back  on  Russia  and  looked  upon  the 
country  of  his  birth  as  an  enemy  country.  He  yearned  for  things  Jew¬ 
ish,  for  a  polity  of  his  own. 

The  Hobebei  Zionists  became  the  progressive  party  of  the  Russian 
Jews,  the  party  of  the  young  militant  Jew  whose  restless  soul  found 
in  the  new  Jewish  movement  an  ideal  worth  fighting  for.  , 

The  accession  of  the  tyrant  Alexander  III  to  the  Russian  throne  in 
1881,  and  the  anti-Jewish  outburst  following  that  event,  drove  the  Jews 
into  a  state  of  confusion.  The  outrage  inflicted  upon  the  Jews  of  Eliza- 
bethgrad,  Nicolaiev,  Yalta,  and  many  other  cities,  where  bloodthirsty 
mobs  were  turned  loose  upon  Jewish  communities  and  engaged  in  the 
devilish  work  of  annihilation,  plunder  and  incendiarism,  resulted  in  thou¬ 
sands  of  families  being  left  without  food  and  shelter,  without  a  gleam 


16  See  Perez  Smolenskin,  by  Reuben  Brainin,  Warsaw,  1905.  (See  Mac,  1905,  p.  255.) 


INTRODUCTION 


xxxvii 


of  hope  and  without  any  prospects  of  starting  life  anew  in  their  native 
towns. 

To  emigrate  was  the  only  chance  left  for  these  unfortunate  victims. 
But  “where  ?”  was  the  question  that  agitated  the  minds  of  public  men 
in  Jewry.  Germany  shut  its  doors  in  front  of  the  poor  Russian  exiles, 
other  European  countries  were  not  economically  inviting  for  poor  im¬ 
migrants;  America  and  Palestine  were  the  two  most  available  lands. 
The  able-bodied,  the  mechanic  and  the  trader,  followed  the  advice  of 
Western  philanthropists,17  and  emigrated  to  America.  Among  the  ad¬ 
vocates  of  immigration  to  the  United  States  was  the  poet  Yehudah  Lob 
Gordon.  The  riots  of  1881  called  forth  two  poems  from  his  pen,  where¬ 
in  he  consoles  his  people  and  concludes  by  saying:  “Since  we  have 
neither  a  house  nor  a  mother,  let  us  go  where  freedom  reigns  supreme, 
where  no  man  is  ashamed  of  his  nation  or  of  his  God.” 

The  nationalists,  on  the  other  hand,  urged  the  Russian  refugees 
to  go  to  Palestine.  The  leader  of  the  Jewish  Na.tional  Party  who  fav¬ 
ored  the  return  of  Jews  to  the  ancestoral  home  was  Dr.  Leo!  Pinsker 
(1821-1891),  the  author  of  “Auto-Emancipation.”  18 

Pinsker,  like  the  author  of  the  “Jewish  State,”  was  by  environment 
and  education  far  away  from  Jewish  National  influences-  He  was  in¬ 
terested  in  his  medical  profession ;  he  was  regarded  as  a  physician  of 
prominence,  and  was  esteemed  in  the  Odessa  Community  for  his  skill 
and  devotion  to  his  patients.  Yet  like  the  Jewish  physicians  of  the  Mid¬ 
dle  Ages  he  was  ready  to  serve  his  people  in  any  capacity  he  was  called 
upon.  While  his  leading  countrymen  were  dazed  and  perplexed  by 
the  sudden  Anti-Jewish  outbreaks,  Pinsker  worked  out  a  plan  of  how 
to  avoid  future  occurence  of  massacres.  He  chose  as  the  motto  for  his 
brochure,  “If  I  do  not  help  myself  who  will  help  me,  and  if  not  now — 
when  ?”18b  “Let  ‘now  or  never !’  be  our  watchword,”  he  ex¬ 
claimed.  “Woe  to  our  descendants,  woe  to  the  memory  of  our  Jewish 
contemporaries,  if  we  let  this  moment  pass  by.”  He  warns  his  people. 

In  searching  for  the  cause  of  Jewish  suffering  he  remarks,  “The  Jew¬ 
ish  people  have  no  fatherland  of  their  own  though  they  have  many  mo¬ 
therlands.  They  have  no  rallying  point,  no  centre  of  gravity,  no  govern¬ 
ment  of  their  own,  no  accredited  representative ;  they  are  everywhere  in 
evidence  and  nowhere  at  home.  The  nations  have  never  to  deal  with  a 
Jewish  nation  but  always  with  mere  Jews.” 

1T  Some  organized  themselves  under  the  name  of  “Am  Olam”  (Eternal  People). 

18  A  pamphlet  written  in  German  over  the  norn  de  plume  “Ein  ltussischer  Jude,”  pub¬ 
lished  in  1881,  just  before  the  riots  in  Odessa. 

18b  Hillel  Pirke  Aboth  I,  IV. 


xxxviii 


INTRODUCTION 


Pinsker  recognized  in  Anti-Semitism  a  hereditary  form  of  demon- 
opathy.  He  regards  “Judeophobia”  as  a  nervous  disorder  based  upon 
aberration  of  the  human  mind,  useless  to  contend  against  it,  just  as  it 
would  be  against  any  inherited  predisposition. 

Pinsker  looked  upon  Jewish  emancipation  as  only  a  palliative  meas¬ 
ure,  but  not  as  a  cure.  .  .  .  “Legal  emancipation,”  he  states,  “is  the 

crowning  achievement  of  our  century,  but  legal  emancipation  is  not 

social  emancipation.  It  is  a  postulate  of  logic  and  law.  It  cannot 
be  regarded  as  a  spontaneous  expression  of  human  feeling.  .  .  .”  He 

deplored  the  fact  that  the  Jew  had  lost  his  self-respect.  “We  have  sunk 
so  low  that  we  become  almost  jubilant,  when  as  in  the  Occident  a  small 

fraction  of  our  people  is  put  on  equal  footing  with  non-Jews.  But,” 

said  Pinsker,  “He  who  must  be  put  on  footing  assuredly  stands  inse¬ 
curely.  .  .  .  For  the  sake  of  a  comfortable  position,”  he  continues, 

“we  persuade  ourselves  and  others  that  we  are  not  Jews  any  longer,  but 
full-blooded  sons  of  the  Fatherland.  Idle  delusion!  You  may  prove 
yourself  patriot  ever  so  true,  you  will  be  reminded  at  every  opportunity 
of  your  Semitic  descent.  .  .  .  What  a  pitiful  figure  we  do  cut!”  ex¬ 

claimed  the  author.  “We  do  not  count  as  a  nation  among  other  nations 
and  we  have  no  voice  in  the  councils  of  other  people,  even  in  the  affairs 
which  concern  us.  Our  Fatherland  is  the  other  man’s  country;  our 
unity — dispersion ;  our  solidarity — the  general  hostility  to  us ;  our 
weapon — humility ;  our  defense — flight ;  our  individuality — adaptability ; 
our  future — tomorrow.  What!  a  contemptible  role  for  the  people  which 
once  had  the  Maccabees?  .... 

The  tragedy  of  the  Jew,  according  to  Pinsker,  is  that  he  lives  a 
life  of  indecision.  He  cannot  die,  nor  can  he  live  a  national  life.  “There 
are  some  Jews  who  think  that  they  must  give  up  all  claims  of  indepen¬ 
dence  in  order  to  prove  their  loyalty  as  citizens  in  the  countries  where 
they  reside.  It  is  true,”  said  Pinsker,  “that  those  happy  ones  who  at¬ 
tained  their  national  independence  lived  upon  their  own  soil  and  spoke 
one  language  and  had  the  advantage  over  us.  But  what  if  our  position 
is  more  difficult?  That  is  the  more  reason  why  we  should  strain  every 
energy  for  this  task  ending  our  national  misery  in  an  honorable  fashion. 
We  must  go  resolved  and  ready  for  sacrifice  and  God  will  help  us.  We 
were  always  ready  for  sacrifice  and  we  didn’t  lack  resolution1  to  hold  our 
banner  fast  even  if  not  to  hold  it  high,  but  we  sailed  the  surging  ocean 
of  universal  history  without  a  compass  and  such  a  compass  must  be 
invented.  .  .  .  We  waged  the  most  glorious  of  all  partisan  struggles 


INTRODUCTION 


xxxix 


with  all  the  people  of  the  earth  who  with  one  accord  desired  to  exter¬ 
minate  us.  .  .  .  But  the  war  we  have  waged  has  not  been  for  a 

fatherland,  but  for  the  wretched  maintenance  of  millions  of  Jewish  peo¬ 
ple.”  Pinsker  realizes  the  difficulties  of  obtaining  a  leader  for  such  a 
heroic  task,  but  with  him  the  most  necessary  thing  is  a  homeland ;  as  to 
leadership,  he  is  of  the  opinion  that  if  we  lack  such  a  genius  as  Moses,  ne¬ 
cessity  would  bring  forth  a  number  of  energetic  and  distinguished  friends 
of  the  people  who  would  take  the  leadership.  Pinsker  gives  also  as  one 
of  the  causes  of  the  long  exile  the  belief  in  the  miraculous  Messiah  who 
will  intervene  for  Israel  to  regain  his  political  freedom  until  whose 
coming  Israel  must  bear  patiently  the  punishment  of  exile  inflicted  upon 
him  by  God. 

To  Pinsker  the  prospect  of  doing  away  with  anti-semitism  as  long 
as  the  Jew  is  in  exile  is  not  bright.  “If  the  prejudice  of  the  human 
race  against  the  Jew  rests  upon  ethnological  and  social  grounds  innate 
and  ineradicable,  we  must  look  no  more  to  the  slow  progress  of  human¬ 
ity,  we  must  learn  to  recognize  that  as  long  as  we  lack  a  home  of  our 
own  such  as  other  nations  have  we  must  resign  forever  the  noble  hope 
of  becoming  equals  of  our  fellow  men.  We  must  recognize  that  before 
the  great  idea  of  human  brotherhood  will  unite  all  the  peoples  of  the  earth 
milleniums  must  elapse,  and  meanwhile  a  people  that  is  at  home  every¬ 
where  and  nowhere  must  everywhere  be  regarded  as  aliens.”17 

Pinsker,  like  Theodore  Herzl,  did  not  point  out  the  territory  where 
the  Jewish  nationality  should  be  established.  He  left  the  selection  of 
the  place  to  the  congress  of  Jewish  notables.  The  chief  idea  with  him 
was  a  land  of  ‘‘Our  Own.”  If  perchance  the  Holy  Land  will  again 
become  ours,  “all  the  better,”  said  Pinsker. 

His  pamphlet  evoked  much  comment  and  discussion  in  intellectual 
circles  of  Russian  Jewry.  West-European  Jewry,  however,  particularly 
Germany,  for  whom  the  pamphlet  was  intended,  paid  no  attention  to 
the  call  of  the  Jewish  physician.  Pinsker  was  forced  to  take  the  leader¬ 
ship  upon  himself. 

In  the  year  1883  he  organized  a  society  that  had  for  its  aim  the 
colonization  of  Jews  in  Palestine.  With  the  founding  of  this  society 
began  his  activities  as  leader  of  the  Hobebei  Zion  movement  in  Russia. 
He  immediately  surrounded  himself  with  a  number  of  energetic 
workers  who  accepted  his  leadership  and  were  ready  to  assist  in  work¬ 
ing  out  his  problems. 

17  See  “  Auto-Emancipation,”  Pub.  Federation  of  American  Zionists,  1906,  translated  by 
D.  S.  Blondheim.  i  < 


xl 


INTRODUCTION 


Among  the  members  of  Pinsker’s  circle  (of  intellectuals)  was  the 
Talmudic  scholar  and  “Maskil,”  Moses  Loeb  Lilienblum,  whose  Jewish 
consciousness  had  been  awakened  by  the  anti-Jewish  riots  of  1881-1882. 18 

In  an  article,  ‘‘The  Essence  of  the  Jewish  Question,”  published  in 
the  Russo-Jewish  paper  Razsvyet,19  Lilienblum  pointed  out  that 
“the  salvation  of  Israel  will  not  come  through  emigration  to  other  lands 
nor  (as  some  believe)  through  refraining  from  doing  anything  which 
may  displease  his  neighbors,  nor  even  by  securing  equal  rights.”  He 
warns  his  people  that  the  great  suffering  of  the  Jew  in  the  Middle  Ages 
is  not  a  thing  of  the  past  nor  is  modern  anti-semitism,  for  political  pur¬ 
poses  as  developed  by  Bismark  of  momentary  significance,  the  pogroms 
and  massacres  in  the  Slavic  lands  will  not  disappear  upon  obtaining  of 
equal  rights  with  the  rest  of  the  population.  (Note  i). 

To  Lilienblum  anti-semitism  is  a  natural  phenomenon,  having  as 
its  foundation  the  well-known  principle,  “Near  is  my  shirt,  but  nearer 
is  my  skin.”  He  dismisses  the  idea  that  Jew  hatred  is  only  temporary, 
accidental  in  its  character  and  originated  by  ill-disposed  persons.  Anti¬ 
semitism  today,  according  to  the  writer,  is  due  to  national  fanaticism 
in  contradistinction  to  that  of  the  Middle;  Ages,  which  was  due  to  relig¬ 
ious  fanaticism.  The  Jewish  sufferings  of  today  may  be  considered  as 
the  blossoms  of  the  new  national  movement  in  Europe.  The  fruit  of  it 
is  yet  to  come. 

To  him  there  is  only  one  way  to  overcome  it,  and  that  is  to  cease 
to  be  strangers ;  not  by  means  of  absolute  fusion  with  their  neighbors, 
as  from  such  fusion  their  descendants  will  lose  the  many  excellent  quali¬ 
ties  wherewith  the  Jewish  nation  has  been  so  generously  endowed. 

Furthermore,  granting  that  the  inimical  ocean  will  consent  to  swal¬ 
low  Israel  up,  it  is  questionable  whether  a  people  can  commit  suicide 
voluntarily. 

“Fusion,”  he  said,  “is  the  work  of  history,  and  history  is  not  yet 
ready  to  put  the  final  touches  to  our  national  existence.  Single  desert¬ 
ers  are  not  counted ;  such  as  trade  with  their  conscience  and  convictions 
never  were;  but  the  fate  of  the  Jews  from  such  people  never  eased,  on 
the  contrary,  as  Achad  Haam  has  said,  they  diminished  the  numbers  of 
the  stricken  and  increased  “The  numbers  of  the  striking!” 

That  is  why  the  author  continues:  “We  must  strive  to  colonize  Palestine,  to  populate  it 
with  our  own,  so  that  in  the  course  of  a  century  we  can  leave  inhospitable  Europe  and  inhabit 
our  own  country,  the  country  of  our  ancestors,  to  which  we  have  a  historical  right,  a  right 


18  See  Derech  La’abor  Golim,  Warsaw,  1S99. 
19 1881,  Nos.  41  to  42. 


INTRODUCTION 


xli 


which  was  not  destroyed  or  lost  by  us  with  the  loss  of  independence.  This  principle  is  sub¬ 
stantiated  by  the  fate  of  the  nationalities  of  t  he  Balkan  peninsula.  ...  Of  course  we  must 
meet  ridicule  cheerfully  and  not  flinch  from  difficulties  which  will  arise  in  the  course  of 
our  labors  to  attain  our  aim.  Perhaps  like  unto  Sanbalat,  the  Horonite,  our  own  brethren 
will  laugh  us  to  scorn,  despise  us,  and  say  with  him:  ‘What  is  this  thing  that  ye  do? 
Will  ye  rebel  against  the  King?  What  do  these  feeble  Jews?  Will  they  fortify  them¬ 
selves?  Will  they  sacrifice?  Will  they  revive  the  stones  out  of  the  heaps  of  the  rubbish 
which  are  burned?’  Are  we  to  lose  courage  because  of  ridicule?  The  course  of  our  two 
thousand  years  of  history  is  a  record  of  scorn  and  martyrdom.” 

He  concluded  by  saying  “but  the  genius  of  Israel  endured  it  all. 
Our  ancestors  were  less  developed  in  the  time  of  Nehemiah  and  they 
were  few  in  numbers,  yet  with  what  an  energy  they  built  up  the  walls 
of  Jerusalem!  Nehemiah  records,  “And  it  came  to  pass  from  that  time 
forth  that  half  of  my  young  men  wrought  in  the  work  and  the  other 
half  of  them  held  both  the  spear,  the  shields  and  the  bows  and  the 
habergeons-  They  which  builded  on  the  wall,  and  they  that  bore  bur¬ 
dens  ....  every  one  with  one  of  his  hands  wrought  in  the  work, 
and  with  the  other  hand  held  a  weapon.  For  the  builders,  every  one 
had  his  sword  girded  by  his  side  and  so  builded,  etc.  So  we  labored  in 
the  work,  and  half  of  them  held  the  spears  from  the  rising  of  the  morn¬ 
ing  till  the  stars  appeared,  etc/’20 

One  of  the  “intellectuals”  to  join  Pinsker’s  circles  and  to  accept  his 
leadership  was  Asher  Ginsburg,  now  known  as  “Achad  Haam.”  With 
the  enthusiasm  of  youth  Ginsburg  gave  the  author  of  Auto-Emancipa¬ 
tion  the  most  loyal  support  in  his  agitation  for  the  colonization  of  Pales¬ 
tine.  But,  soon  after  his  arrival  in  Odessa  (1885),  having  carefully  scru¬ 
tinized  the  program  of  the  Hobebei  Zion,  he  discovered  defects  in  the 
underlying  principle  of  the  movement,  and  in  an  article,21  “Lo  zeh 

Haderek”  (not  this  is  the  way),  over  the  signature  “Achad  Haam”  (in 
the  Hebrew  paper,  Hameliz),  he  analyzed  the  aims  and  purposes  of 
the  “Lovers  of  Zion.”  With  the  mind  of  a  keen  critic  he  pointed  out 
the  half-hearted  aims  and  hesitating  methods  of  the  “Lover  of  Zion” 
and  in  a  subsequent  article22  he  exhibited  the  broader,  the  cultural  and 


spiritual  side  of  the  Jewish  question. 

He  laid  the  foundation  for  a  new  school  in  Jewish  nationalism,  now 
known  as  “Spiritual”  or  “Moral  Zionism”  or  “Achad  Haamism.”  He 
presented  in  his  argument  the  philosophy  of  Jewish  history  and  develop¬ 
ment  of  Jewish  thought.  The  practical  steps  he  advocated  were  deduc¬ 
tions  of  his  philosophical  arguments. 


20  Nehemiah  iv  :10. 

21  See  also  A1  Parashath  Derachim,  Vol.  1,  Chap.  1. 

22  “Derek  Hachayyim”  (the  Way  of  Life),  lb. 


xlii 


INTRODUCTION 


To  Achad  Haam  a  new  “moral  centre”  for  Judaism  in  Palestine, 
to  which  the  Jews  from  all  over  the  world  may  look  for  inspiration  and 
guidance,  is  of  paramount  importance  if  the  long  historic  chain  whose 
links  were  strengthened  by  the  “Torah”  shall  not  come  apart  through 
the  dispersed  condition  of  the  Jewish  race  throughout  the  world. 

Achad  Haam  did  not  agree  with  the  program  of  the  first  Basle  con¬ 
gress,  because  it  laid  too  much  stress  on  the  political  aspect  of  Zionism 
and  neglected  the  spiritual  side  of  the  movement.  (Note  2). 

Ginsburg  fails  to  find  the  true  Hebraic  spirit  in  the  emanci¬ 
pated  Jew,  who  being  anxious  to  be  like  his  neighbors,  he  is  careful 
to  keep  his  differences  in  the  background.  His  manners,  customs  and 
views  of  life  are  moulded  by  non-Jewish  influences.  His  privilege  to 
inhale  the  air  of  European  culture,  whence  modern  nations  derive  their 
spiritual  sustenance,  he  can  only  win  by  becoming  part  and  parcel  of 
the  particular  nation  in  which  he  happens  to  live,  and,  as  his  racial 
instincts  are  too  strong  to  allow  him  to  merge  completely  with  his  sur¬ 
roundings,  he  has  to  search  for  other  means  to  preserve  his 
own  identity  while  the  process  of  assimilation  is  going  on.  In  such  a 
perplexity  were  the  founders  of  the  Reform  movement,  and  they  could 
only  solve  it  by  accepting  “Judaism”  instead  of  holding  to  “Hebraism,” 
by  limiting  their  innate  national  life  which  was  their  own  to  the 
sphere  of  religion  only. 

“But  the  truth  is,”  said  Ginsburg,  “that  if  Western  Jews  were  not 
slaves  to  their  emancipation  it  would  never  have  entered  their  heads  to 
consecrate  their  people  to  spiritual  missions  or  aims  before  it  had  ful¬ 
filled  that  physical,  natural  “mission,”  which  belongs  to  every  organism, 
before  it  had  created  for  itself  conditions  suitable  to  its  character,  in 
which  it  could  develop  its  latent  powers  and  aptitudes,  its  own  particular 
form  of  life,  in  a  normal  manner,  and  in  obedience  to  the  demands  of  its 
nature.  Then,  and  only  then,  we  may  well  believe,  its  development 
might  lead  it  in  course  of  time  to  some  field  of  work  in  which  it  would 
be  specially  fitted  to  act  as  teacher,  and  thus  contribute  once  again  to 
the  general  good  of  humanity,  in  a  way  suited  to  the  spirit  of  the  modern 
world.  And  if  then  philosophers  tell  us  that  in  this  field  of  work  lies 
the  ‘mission’  of  our  people,  for  which  it  was  created,  I  shall  not,  indeed, 
be  able  to  subscribe  to  their  view;  but  I  shall  not  quarrel  with  them  on 
a  mere  question  of  names.” 


INTRODUCTION 


xliii 


“Blit  alas!”  he  exclaims,  “I  shall  doubtless  be  dead  and  buried 
before  then.  Today,  while  I  am  still  alive,  I  try,  mayhap,  to  give  my 
weary  eyes  a  rest  from  the  scene  of  ignorance,  of  degradation,  of  unut¬ 
terable  poverty  that  confronts  me  here  in  Russia,  and  find  comfort  by 
looking  yonder  across  the  border,  where  there  are  Jewish  professors, 
Jewish  members  of  academies,  Jewish  officers  in  the  army,  Jewish  civil 
servants ;  and  when  I  see  there,  behind  the  glory  and  the  grandeur  of  it 
all,  a  two-fold  spiritual  slavery,  moral  slavery,  and  intellectual  slavery, 
and  ask  myself:  Do  I  envy  these  fellows-Jews  of  mine  their  emancipa¬ 
tion?  I  answer,  in  all  truth  and  sincerity:  No!  a  thousand  times  NO! 
The  privileges  are  not  worth  the  price !  I  may  not  be  emancipated,  but 
at  least  I  have  not  sold  my  soul  for  emancipation.  I  at  least  can  pro¬ 
claim  from  the  housetops  that  my  kith  and  kin  are  dear  to  me  wherever 
they  are,  without  being  constrained  to  find  forced  and  unsatisfactory 
excuses.  I  at  least  can  remember  Jerusalem  at  other  times  than  those 
of  ‘divine  service.’  I  can  mourn  for  its  loss,  in  public  or  in  private, 
without  being  asked  what  Zion  is  to  me,  or  I  to  Zion.  I  at  least  have 
no  need  to  exalt  my  people  to  heaven,  to  trumpet  its  superiority  above 
all  other  nations,  in  order  to  find  a  justification  for  its  existence.  I  at 
least  know  ‘why  I  remain  a  Jew’ — or,  rather,  I  can  find  no  meaning  in 
such  a  question,  any  more  than  if  I  were  asked  why  I  remain  my 
father’s  son.  I  at  least  can  speak  my  mind  concerning  the  beliefs  and 
the  opinions  which  I  have  inherited  from  my  ancestors,  without  fearing 
to  snap  the  bond  that  unites  me  to  my  people.  I  can  even  adopt  that 
‘scientific  heresy  which  bears  the  name  of  Darwin’  without  any  danger 
to  my  Judaism.  In  a  word,  I  am  my  own,  and  my  opinions  and  feelings 
are  my  own.  I  have  no  reason  for  concealing  or  denying  them,  for 
deceiving  others  or  myself*  And  this  spiritual  freedom — scoff  who  will ! 
— I  would  not  exchange  or  barter  for  all  the  emancipation  in  the 
world.”23 

Ginsburg  holds  that  the  Ghetto  Jew  saved  Hebraism  from  extinc¬ 
tion  because  he  was  his  own  master,  and  he  followed  the  practices  of 
his  forefathers,  but  the  trouble  with  the  Ghetto  Jew  was  that  the  Hebra¬ 
ism  had  a  one-sided  development.  Its  walls  shut  out  general  culture 
and  modern  ideas,  “and  a  spirit  that  can  only  live  by  keeping  out  the 
light  of  modern  thought  and  progress  might  as  well  be  dead.”  Further- 

23  Selected  Essays  by  Achad,  Haam,  chap.  “Slavery  In  Freedom,”  p.  171,  translated  by 
Leon  Simon.  Jewish  Pub.  Soc.  of  America. 


xliv 


INTRODUCTION 


more,  the  walls  of  the  Ghetto  cannot  hold  out  much  longer.  It  is  crum¬ 
bling  before  our  eyes.  It  cannot  resist  much  longer  the  forces  which 
have  been  working  to  overthrow  it.  “Is  it  possible  that  the  survival 
of  the  Jews  for  so  long  a  period,”  asks  Achad  Haam,  is  a  meaningless 
freak  of  history?  Are  we  ready  to  give  up  hope  against  overwhelming 
odds  or  find  the  solution  in  a  voluntary  national  suicide?  This  is  unbe¬ 
lievable.  There  is  only  one  solution  to  this  perplexity.  The  revival  of 
the  “Hebraic  spirit  in  the  natural  land  of  Hebraism.” 

In  another  place  he  remarks:  “The  vicissitudes  of  Israel  throughout  the  centuries  of 
the  Dispersion,  but  particularly  during  theses  latter  days  of  ours,  make  it  plain  that  we 
Jews  cannot  hope  to  lead  the  life  of  a  separate  nation  among  strange  peoples,  and  yet  be  as 
(ne  of  them,  taking  part  in  all  the  activities  about  us  as  though  we  were  full-blooded 
natives  of  the  lands  of  our  sojourn,  and  at  the  same  time  remain  a  nation  peculiar  in  views 
and  distinct  in  character.  Woe  unto  us  in  evil  days,  and  woe  unto  us  in  days  of  sunshine! 
Misfortunes  maim  our  manhood,  favorable  circumstances  our  national  spirit.  The  former 
make  of  us  men  despicable  in  the  sight  of  our  fellows,  the  latter  a  nation  despicable  in 
its  own  sight.  In  vain  for  us  to  waste  our  strength  and  dissipate  our  means  in  the  effort 
to  conquer  an  unassailable  position  in  the  midst  of  another  nation.  We  are  bound  to  fail. 
Two  paths  lie  stretched  out  before  us — the  path  of  life  and  the  path  of  death.  If  our  eyes 
.are  fixed  upon  the  death  goal,  then  let  us  disregard  the  counsel  of  temporizing  healers, 
let  us  await  death  with  a  calm  spirit.  It  may  tarry  and  delay,  but  come  it  inevitably  must. 
If,  however,  we  choose  life,  then  it  behooves  us  to  build  us  a  house  for  ourselves  alone, 
and  in  a  secure  spot,  and  can  there  be  any  spot  securer  than  the  land  inherited  from  our 
fathers?  Then  it  behooves  us  to  consecrate  our  noblest  powers,  material  and  spiritual,  to 
the  one  purpose,  the  regeneration  of  our  people  in  the  land  of  our  forefathers.”28 

To  him  the  love  of  Zion  is  not  a  part  of  Judaism,  but  is  Judaism. 
The  revival  of  the  Hebraic  spirit  does  not  depend  upon  the  establishment 
of  a  certain  number  of  colonies,  but  upon  the  establishment  of  a  Jewish 
.spiritual  life  in  Palestine.  Even  a  small  settlement  of  Jews,  not  neces¬ 
sarily  independent  in  the  political  sense  but  free  from  the  cramping  con¬ 
dition  of  the  Ghetto  and  made  to  draw  its  spiritual  inspirations  from 
Hebrew  sources  of  the  native  soil,  would  breathe  into  the  dead  bones  of 
scattered  Israel  of  the  diaspora  a  Hebraic  spirit  without  which  regenera¬ 
tion  in  diaspora  can  have  no  hope  to  resist  the  overwhelming  forces  of 
.assimilation.20 

The  establishment  of  a  spiritual  centre  for  Hebraism  would  result 
in  further  expanding  and  strengthening  the  Palestine  settlements. 
Hence  the  idea  of  a  Hebrew  culture  must  precede  the  restoration,  in 
order  to  make  Palestine  Hebraic,  and  must  succeed  in  order  to  act  as 
the  magnet  for  the  remnant  of  the  Jews  in  whom  national  consciousness 

28  See  A1  Parashath  Drachim,  ch.  “The  Way  of  Life.” 

-!  Achad  Haam  makes  a  distinction  between  Hebraism  and  Judaism.  The  first  he  uses 
in  speaking  of  the  race,  the  second  is  applied  to  specifically  religious  elements.  “Spirit” 
to  Ginsburg  is  the  antithesis  of  “body.”  It  is  the  inner  life,  as,  for  example,  the  spirit  of 
the  age.  Spiritual,  is  by  him  applied  to  the  literature  and  to  thetype  of  life  in  which  the 
spirit  of  the  people  expresses  itself. 


INTRODUCTION 


xlv 

has  not  been  crushed  by  the  weight  of  foreign  culture.  Only  in  Pales¬ 
tine  can  be  combined  whatever  was  best  in  the  Ghetto  life  with  modern 
culture  of  the  emancipated  countries.  A  union  was  impossible  in  dia¬ 
spora  because  the  soil  was  lacking  to  mould  it  together,  and  because  the 
land  with  which  Israel’s  history  is  bound  up  was  not  at  hand  to  unite  it. 

Only  there  where  the  goal  of  our  most  cherished  aspirations  lies 
since  we  left  for  the  long  exile  can  we  begin  anew  to  carry  out  the  ideas 
of  the  prophets.  There  only  can  the  Hebrew  spirit1  find  a  body,  become 
a  force  in  the  life  of  Israel  and  effect  a  great  moral  influence  even  upon 
the  emancipated  Jews  of  Western  Europe. 

Of  course,  the  literature  of  the  spiritual  centre  must  be  in  the  lan¬ 
guage  that  expresses  best  the  Hebrew  spirit.  The  Hebrew  language, 
our  spiritual  possession,  is  part  and  parcel  of  the  Hebrew  spirit,  with¬ 
out  which  there  can  be  no  “Hebrew  spirit.” 

Achad  Haam  hates  reform  Judaism  because  he  finds  that  it  enslaves 
the  soul  in  order  to  gain  bodily  liberty27. 

Achad  Haam  made  three  visits  to  Palestine,  and  his  views  of  the 
condition  of  the  land  are  embodied  in  a  series  of  articles  in  Hashiloah 
under  the  title  “Emet  Me-Erez  Israel”  (the  Truth  from  the  Land  of 
Israel).28 

From  the  foregoing  pages  it  will  be  observed  that  the  pioneers  of 
“Hobebei  Zionism”  in  Russia  were  mainly  “Maskilim”  (intellectuals). 
The  rank  and  file  of  Russian  Jewry,  which  was  strictly  orthodox  in 
its  belief,  stood  aloof  from  the  movement  partly  because  of  the  old- 
established  notion  regarding  Messiah  and  a  miraculous  redemption, 
and  partly  because  they  looked  with  suspicion  on  the  efforts  of  the 
Maskilim  as  they  did  on  all  modern  tendencies  and  ideas.  Judaism  of 
Russia  four  decades  ago  was  almost  completely  under  Rabbinic  influ¬ 
ence.  They  were  the  representatives  and  the  spokesmen  of  the  Russian. 
Jewish  communities.  No  movement  could  grow  without  their  support, 
and  no  idea  could  impress  the  Jewish  public  unless  sanctioned  by  the 
leading  Rabbis.  Hobebei  Zionism,  therefore,  eagerly  desired  the  sup¬ 
port  of  a  recognized  Rabbinic  authority.  Such  an  authority  presented 
itself  in  the  person  of  Rabbi  Samuel  Mohilever  (1824-1898). 

Mohilever  was  a  rare  type  of  a  Rabbi.  He  combined  profound  Tal¬ 
mudic  scholarship  with  knowledge  of  a  secular  character,  which  was 

27  “Slavery  In  Freedom,”  lb. 

28  See  A1  Parashath  Drachim,  Vol.  1,  p.  26. 


xlvi 


INTRODUCTION 


rare  in  Russian  Rabbinism.  He  was  deeply  pious,  generous,  unselfish 
and  public-spirited. 

He  devoted  his  life  to  Rabbinic  studies,  was  recognized  as  an  author¬ 
ity  on  questions  of  Jewish  law  and  practice,  and  although  constantly 
busy  replying  to  such  questions  as  were  directed  to  him,  found  time 
for  philosophic  and  cabalistic  speculations. 

He  spoke  and  wrote  fluently  in  a  number  of  languages,  and  was 
modern  in  his  point  of  view.  He  was  a  born  leader,  a  great  organizer, 
beloved  by  all  people  irrespective  of  their  religious  views.  His  Zionistic 
activity  began  in  1875,  the  ninetieth  anniversary  of  Sir  Moses  Montc- 
fiore,  when  he  collected  from  the  Jews  of  Radom,  where  he  served  as 
Rabbi,  a  large  sum  of  money  for  the  Jewish  settlements  of  Palestine  in 
honor  of  Sir  Moses. 

The  year  1881,  the  darkest  year  in  the  history  of  the  Jews  of  Rus¬ 
sia,  found  Rabbi  Samuel  at  the  head  of  his  sorely-tried  people.  He  had 
witnessed  the  massacres  and  the  progroms ;  he  had  seen  the  blood  of 
his  brethren  flowing  in  streams  in  the  old  Jewish  communities,  he  had 
noticed  that  Jewish  sufferings  were  not  only  physical,  but  also  spiritual 
in  character.  He  became  more  than  ever  convinced  of  the  necessity  of 
providing  for  his  brethren  a  Jewish  centre  in  their  ancestral  home. 
Emigration  to  America  was  distasteful  to  him  because  he  feared  the 
loss  of  their  spiritual  life. 

In  1882  he  organized  in  Warsaw  the  first  Hobebei  Zion  Society. 
In  the  same  year  he  visited  Paris  and  was  introduced  to  Baron  Edmond 
de  Rothschild  by  Rabbi  Zadoc  Kahn  and  Michael  Erlanger.  With  his 
logical  arguments  and  his  pathetic  appeals  he  convinced  the  Baron  of 
the  practicability  of  his  plans.  The  Baron  authorized  him  to  find  in  Rus¬ 
sia  some  practical  Jewish  farmers  and  with  the  assistance  of  Jehiel  Bril! 
he  located  such  farmers  near  the  village  Rosenoy,  in  the  government  of 
Grodno,  with  whom  the  colony  Ekron  was  established. 

From  Paris  he  issued  an  appeal  to  his  countrymen  to  help  their 
brethren  to  settle  in  Palestine.  In  this  appeal  the  Rabbi  proved  by  dia¬ 
lectic  reasoning  supported  by  authoritative  opinion  that  Hobebei  Zion¬ 
ism  conforms  with  the  letter  and  spirit  of  the  law.  The  call,  signed 
also  by  two  other  Rabbis,  soon  found  a  sympathetic  response  from  the 
orthodox  Jewish  public.  The  two  other  signers,  however,  soon  with¬ 
drew  from  the  movement  upon  hearing  that  students  of  th-e  universities 
belonging  to  the  Bilu  organization  contemplated  settling  in  Palestine- 


INTRODUCTION 


xlvii 


In  an  article  entitled  “The  Purpose  of  My  Journey  to  the  Holy 
Land,”  published  upon  his  return  from  Palestine  in  the  summer  of 
1890, 29  he  writes:  “I  am  surprised  to  see  many  Rabbinic  scholars  and 
pious  Jews  opposing  the  development  of  Palestine  by  Jews  because,  as 
they  claim,  the  Jewish  colonists,  particularly  the  young  element,  do  not 
observe  the  law.  .  .  .  Even  if  such  accusation  were  true,  I  have 

shown  long  ago  from  Rabbinic  writings  that  God  prefers  His  children 
should  be  in  His  land,  even  if  they  do  not  observe  the  law  in  the  proper 
manner,  rather  than  that  they  live  in  other  lands  and  observe  the  law 
scrupulously.  But  even  the  greatest  enemies  of  the  Jew  would  not  dare 
say  that  in  Palestine  the  Jews  are  less  observant  than  elsewhere.  On 
the  contrary,  they  are  much  better  Jews  in  Palestine  than  anywhere 
else.  I  visited  manv  colonies  and  I  found  almost  all  of  them  are  observ- 
ant  Jews.  But  granting  there  were  a  few,  free  in  their  religious  views, 
such  Jews  are  found  all  over,  and  Palestine  is  no  exception.  I  can 
testify  that  during  my  stay  in  Palestine  I  never '  witnessed  a  colonist 
violate  the  Sabbath  or  any  other  law  publicly.” 

After  his  return  from  Palestine  he  entered  into  the  Zionist  move¬ 
ment  with  all  the  energy  at  his  command.  The  same  year  he  was  instru¬ 
mental  in  organizing  in  Warsaw  the  society  “M’nuchoh  V’nachlo,” 
whose  aim  was  to  found  a  settlement  for  their  members.  The  colony 
Rechoboth  was  founded  by  that  society  (1891). 

Rabbi  Samuel  traveled  extensively  on  behalf  of  the  movement, 
addressed  many  meetings  and  corresponded  with  the  most  prominent 
Jews  of  Europe  on  matters  concerning  Palestine  and  Jews.  The  city 
of  Bialostock,  of  which  he  later  became  the  Rabbi,  formed  a 
rich  field  for  his  activities.  A  number  of  Bialostock  Jews  became  land- 
owners  of  Petach  Tikvah  (the  gate  of  hope).  These  new  arrivals 
enabled  the  old  settlers  of  the  colony,  who  had  left  it  in  despair  because 
of  severe  epidemics,  to  return. 

Mohilever  was  the  organizer  of  the  Kattowitz  conference,  in  which 
he  took  a  leading  part.  He  also  was  the  guiding  spirit  of  the  Drusge- 
nick  and  Wilna  conferences. 

When  the  controversy  about  the  Sabbatical  year  (shemittah) 
(1889)  broke  out,  which  threatened  the  destruction  of  many  years  of 
hard  labor,  if  the  opinion  of  the  Jerusalem  Rabbis  were  accepted,  he 
stood  fast  to  the  opinion  he  rendered  that  the  Biblical  law  of  Shemit- 


”  Shibat  Zion,  page  7. 


xlviii 


INTRODUCTION 


tah  is  not  obligatory  at  the  present  time.  He  gained  the  support  of 
many  leading  Rabbis  of  Russia.  The  recognized  authority,  Rabbi  Isaac 
Elchanan,  of  Kovno,  coincided  with  him. 

He  was  among  the  first  Rabbis  to  support  Herzl,  and  was  one  of 
the  few  Rabbis  that  helped  to  bring  about  the  first  Zionist  congress  at 
Basel. 

Rabbi  Mohilever  was  not  satisfied  with  preaching  only.  He  has 
the  credit  of  being  the  first  to  plant  in  Palestine  an  “Ethrogim”  garden 
(large  citrons).  The  Odessa  committee  on  his  seventieth  anniversary 
honored  him  by  contributing  a  large  sum  of  money  with  which  to  plant 
a  large  number  of  trees  in  his  garden..  His  garden  is  situated  at  the 
colony  Hederah,  and  bears  the  name  of  the  founder,  “Gan  Samuel” 
(The  Garden  of  Samuel). 

To  him  Palestine  and  Judaism  were  one.  He  could  not  con¬ 
ceive  how  a  Jew  can  be  against  developing  Palestine  by  Jews.  When 
he  was  asked  on  one  occasion  if  he  considered  an  anti-Zionist  a  Jew 
he  replied:  “Yes!  he’s  a  Jew,  but  not  a  logical  Jew.29 

In  order  to  combat  the  arguments  of  the  opposition  forces  among 
the  Rabbis  who  saw  in  the  growing  movement  of  Hobebei  Zion  con¬ 
tradictions  to  certain  obscure  passages  in  the  Scripture  and  Talmudic 
writings,  Rabbi  Mohilever  carried  on  an  extensive  correspondence  with 
the  most  celebrated  authorities  of  the  Russian  Rabbinate  and  received 
the  support  and  co-operation  of  many  of  them.30 

His  most  loyal  supporter  was  Rabbi  Mordecai  Eliasberg,  of  Bausk, 
Kurland  (1817-1890).  Eliasberg  entered  the  movement  with  all  the 
energy  at  his  command  and  became  the  right  hand  of  his  friend  and 
colleague,  the  Rabbi  of  Bialostock.  Pie  was  a  great  admirer  of  Rabbi 
Kalischer,  of  Thorn,  whose  book,  D’rishat  Zion,  exerted  a  great  in¬ 
fluence  on  him.  The  views  of  Eliasberg  on  Hobebei  Zionism  are  re¬ 
corded  in  his  book,  “Sh’bil  Hazahab”  (The  Golden  Path),  published  by 
his  son  (also  famous  for  his  Zionistic  labors),  Rabbi  Jonathan  Elias¬ 
berg.  Other  leaders  of  the  Hobebei  Zion  movement  in  Russia  were 
S.  P.  Rabinowitz,  the  historian ;  Kalman  Wolf  Wisotzky,  the  million¬ 
aire  philanthropist;  Lewanda,  the  journalist;  H.  Manneh  and  M.  M. 
Dolitzky,  the  poets;  Mordecai  ben  Hillel  ha  Cohen,  the  writer;  Dr.  Max 
Mandelstam,  the  physician,  and  many  others  who  by  words  and  deeds 
brought  a  large  number  of  Russian  Jews  to  the  Zionist  movement. 

29  Sep  Isaac  Nissenbaum  Luach  Achlasaf,  1895,  p.  289. 

80  Slutzky  (Skibatli  Zion)  gives  a  list  of  82  contemporary  rabbis  who  joined  the  move¬ 
ment. 


RABBI  HIRSCH  KALI  SC  HER 
(1795—1874) 

(See  Page  XIV) 


(1784—1885) 

(See  Page  XXII) 


MOSES  LOEB  LILIENBLUM 
(1843—1910) 

(See  Page  XL) 


LEON  PIN3KER 
(1821—1891) 

(See  Page  XXXVIII) 


HIGH  SCHOOL,  JAFFA 


(See  Page  36) 


GIRLS  HIGH  SCHOOL,  JAFFA 


(See  Page  36) 


INTRODUCTION 


xlix 


When  the  idea  of  colonization  in  Palestine  became  sufficiently 
strong  to  justify  co-operation  between  the  many  independent  societies, 
a  conference  of  the  representatives  of  these  societies  was  called  at  Kat- 
towitz,  Prussian  Silesia.31  This  conference  laid  the  foundation  for  the 
world-wide  movement  for  the  re-settlement  of  the  Jews  in  Palestine. 
At  that  conference  provision  was  made  for  building  of  houses,  buy¬ 
ing  of  cattle  implements,  and  for  the  maintenance  of  the  colonists 
until  the  next  harvest. 

The  organization  effected  in  Kattowitz  was  consolidated  into 
“The  Montefiore  Federation,”  and  later,  in  1887,  into  the  Chovevei 
Zion.  It  became  legalized  in  Russia  in  1892  and  was  later  known  as 
the  Odessa  Committee.  Lillienblum,  as  secretary  of  that  Committee, 
took  the  most  prominent  part  in  the  proceedings. 

In  Roumania,  Dr.  Nathan  P.  Lippe,  of  Jassy,  and  S.  Pinneles,  of 
Gallacz,  assumed  the  leadership  of  the  new  movement.  They  organ¬ 
ized  a  strong  Zionist  party  and  were  the  founders  of  the  Central  Jew¬ 
ish  Colonization  Society  of  Roumania. 

Lippe  was  one  of  the  few  physicians  in  his  days  that  had  an  in¬ 
tense  love  of  the  Hebrew  language  and  literature,  and  one  that  hated 
the  idea  of  assimilation. 

In  Eastern  Prussia,  Dr.  Ruelf,  of  Memel,  situated  on  the  Russian- 
Prussian  frontier,  led  the  Chovevei  Zion  forces.  He  exerted  great 
influence  upon  the  Jewry  of  both  countries.32 

Those  that  followed  the  National  party,  Chovevei  Zion,  favoring 
the  immigration  to  Palestine,  consisted  of  young  idealists,  dreamers, 
students,  and  maskilim  Their  motto  was,  “Back  to  the  Soil,  Back  to 
Palestine !”  Unlike  the  early  settlers  of  other  countries,  who,  as  a  gen¬ 
eral  rule,  were  of  a  type  picked  out  to  do  pioneer  work,  well  developed 
physically  and  trained  in  agricultural  pursuits  from  childhood,  the 
average  Jewish  colonists  of  Palestine  lacked  all  qualifications  for  rural 
life. 

Their  previous  occupation  was  confined  mainly  to  the  book  or 
business  counter.  They  were  unprepared,  either  by  training  or  by 
practical  experience,  for  agricultural  enterprise,  nor  were  they  physi¬ 
cally  fit  to  endure  the  hardships  that  confronted  them  in  their  dream¬ 
land,  which,  to  their  great  disappointment,  they  found  to  be  in  a  state 
of  desolation  caused  by  many  centuries  of  ravages,  wars,  destruction: 


n  Nov.  6,  1884. 

32  See  his  Aruchath  Rath  Ammi. 


1 


INTRODUCTION 


and  disuse.  How  far  they  were  successful  in  their  efforts  to  transform 
themselves  and  their  New  Land,  we  leave  to  the  reader  of  this  volume 
to  answer. 

The  last  event,  the  one  that  gave  by  far  the  greatest  impetus  to 
colonization  of  Palestine,  was  brought  about  in  1896  with  the  appear¬ 
ance  of  Theodor  Plerzl  and  his  collaborators  on  the  scene  and  the  or¬ 
ganization  of  the  Zionist  movement  at  the  First  International  Jew¬ 
ish  Congress,  in  Basle  (1897),  where  the  aim  of  the  Zionist  movement 
was  formulated  in  the  following  preamble : 

“Zionism  strives  to  create  for  the  Jewish  people  a  home  in  Pales¬ 
tine  secured  by  public  law.” 

“The  Congress  contemplates  the  following  means  to  the  attain¬ 
ment  of  this  aim:  (1)  The  promotion,  on  suitable  lines,  of  the  coloniza¬ 
tion  of  Palestine  by  Jewish  agricultural  and  industrial  workers.  (2) 
The  organization  and  binding  together  of  the  who*e  of  Jewry  by  means 
of  appropriate  institutions,  local  and  international,  in  accordance  with 
the  laws  of  each  country.  (3)  The  strengthening  and  fostering  of 
Jewish  national  sentiment  and  consciousness.  (4)  Preparatory  steps 
toward  obtaining  Government  consent,  where  necessary,  to  the  at¬ 
tainment  of  the  aim  of  Zionism. 


NEW  JUDEA 


NEW  JUDEA 


CHAPTER  I. 

EASTWARD 

With  mixed  feelings  of  regret  and  pleasure  I  left  one  spring  morn¬ 
ing  in  the  year  1909  the  shores  of  New  York,  on  a  tour  to  Palestine, 
a  journey  which  was  to  me,  as  to  so  many  others,  a  dream  of  delight 
from  boyhood.  My  desire  to  see  Judea  was  not  so  much  to  look  on 
the  historic  places  or  venerated  shrines  that  had  existed  for  me,  hith¬ 
erto,  only  in  imagination,  as  to  learn  facts  and  conditions  of  Old  and 
New  Palestine  that  I  could  not  derive  from  second-hand  sources,  and 
indeed  it  was  an  inspiration  never  to  be  forgotten,  when  I  at  last  found 
myself  tossed  on  the  waves,  under  the  deep  blue  sky,  toward  the  East. 

Whether  our  Jewish  convictions  be  Orthodox  or  Reform,  religious 
or  historic,  they  always  carry  us  back  to  the  East  as  our  native  land 
of  religion,  history  and  ethics.  But  to  those  of  us  who  hope  for  a  physi¬ 
cal  rejuvenation  of  Israel,  a  trip  to  Palestine  awakens  new  aspirations 
and  brings  a  much  stronger  conviction  of  the  realization  of  such  hope. 

The  weather  was  ideal.  The  days  were  bright.  The  sea  was  calm, 
and  the  passengers  grew  friendly  and  attached  to  each  other  as  the  days 
rolled  by, — they  became  like  one  family  and  of  one  creed.  One  could 
almost  believe  that  all  that  is  fine  and  best  in  human  nature  is  mani¬ 
fested  among  travelers  on  sea,  and  that  only  land  is  responsible  for 
many  of  the  evils  wherewith  the  human  race  is  afflicted.  Verily !  the 
law  of  gravitation  might  have  a  moral  aspect  too. 

My  first  impression,  however,  suffered  a  change  when  on  one  after¬ 
noon  I  called  upon  old  friends  on  the  lower  deck.  I  found  that  part 
of  the  vessel  inhabited  by  a  mixed  multitude,  crowding  every  foot  of 
space,  a  Babel  of  languages,  Italian  predominating.  All  seemed  to 
shout,  and  in  order  to  be  heard,  all  tried  to  use  their  vocal  organs  at  the 
highest  pitch.  Human  voices  were  mixed  with  sounds  of  musical  in¬ 
struments  of  all  descriptions,  the  harmonica  prevailing,  accompanied 
by  clapping  of  hands,  dancing  and  singing.  The  noise  was  deafening, 


1 


2 


NEW  JUDEA 


the  atmosphere  stifling;  men  and  things  were  all  in  a  mix-up,  a  mass 
of  humanity  among  bundles,  boxes,  baskets,  pillows  and  chests. 

After  some  searching,  I  found  my  friends  at  the  stern  of  the  ves¬ 
sel,  sitting  around  a  box  covered  with  a  yellow  table  cloth,  in  the 
centre  of  which  was  worked  a  picture  of  one  of  our  ex-Presidents. 
With  them  was  another  tall  and  long-bearded  gentleman,  with  snow- 
white  hair,  but  his  face  was  not  wrinkled.  His  entire  make-up  was 
that  of  one  frequently  pictured  as  a  rabbi.  His  name  was  given  to  me 
as  Reb  Samuel.  His  wife  was  a  matron  of  middle  age,  typically  Jew¬ 
ish.  A  “Shekel”  (wig)  hid  her  natural  hair;  a  white  silk  kerchief, 
with  blue  borders,  covered  the  larger  part  of  her  head ;  a  new  gingham 
apron,  evidently  put  on  for  the  occasion,  concealed  a  skirt  that  had 
seen  better  day's.  She  was  addressed  as  Nehama. 

On  the  table  were  four  cups  of  tea,  steaming  hot,  bread  and  salt, 
a  sugar  bowl  in  the  centre.  I  was  greeted  with  a  “Baruch  Habba” 
(“blessed  be  he  that  cometh”).  Nehama  insisted  that  I  take  her  seat, 
and  requested  me  to  join  in  the  feast.  I  accepted  the  invitation  to  tea. 
After  the  meal  was  over,  Reb  Samuel  proposed  to  say  grace,  remark¬ 
ing:  “We'have  a  Mezuman.”  He  began  by  chanting  Psalm  137: 

“By  the  rivers  of  Babylon,  there  we  sat  down;  we  wept  when 
we  remembered  Zion.  How  can  we  sing  the  song  of  the  Lord  in  a 
strange  land!  If  I  forget  thee,  O  Jerusalem1 .... 

I  was  very  much  absorbed  watching  this  interesting  group  at  the 
end  of  the  deck, — a  little  Ghetto  in  the  midst  of  the  ocean. 

Indeed,  a  modern  ship  is  a  little  world  in  itself.  It  is  divided  into 
three  classes — the  rich  who  occupy  the  first  cabin  and  have  all  their 
hearts  desire ;  the  middle  class  in  the  second  cabin,  whose  desires  are 
restricted,  and  the  poor  in  the  steerage,  who  live  in  the  congested  and 
over-crowded  centres  of  our  large  cities,  the  so-called  slums,  whereof 
the  Ghetto  forms  a  part. 

Neither  the  music  nor  the  dancing  had  any  effect  on  these  four. 
They  were  indifferent  to  their  surroundings.  On  their  countenances 
one  could  read  that  they  were  ever  on  “seas  of  trouble,”  and  that  life 
to  them  was  not  a  holiday.  The  picture  reminded  one  of  the  poem  by 
Rosenfeld : 

“Wie?  hat  ihr  kein  Vaterland, 

Gar  kein  Medino. 

Kein  heim  wo  zu  kommen,  kein 
freundliche  Stub, 

Was  ihr  hat  gehalten  in  sich  so 
ein  Sino 

Zum  Leben  und  wart  auf  der  finstere 
Grub.” 


1  Ps.  137. 


EASTWARD 


3 


“We  are  Jews,”  remarked  Nehama  after  the  prayers  were  over, 
“even  on  the  yam  (sea)  we  are  in  Golus  (exile),  the  ‘goyim’  are 
happy  and  contented.  They  eat  and  drink  of  the  best,  and  are  merry. 
But  we,  ‘nebech/  have  nothing  else  but  bread  and  tea,  bread  and  tea, 
and  yet  we  are  not  liked  here.  They  look  upon  us  as  strangers,  though 
we  pay  as  much  as  any  of  them.  Oh  Lord !  how  long  will  Thy  poor 
people  Israel  be  in  Golus!” 

“You  narele”  (simpleton),  broke  in  Reb  Samuel,  “no  one  can  reach 
Erez  Israel  without  trouble.  Our  ancestors  from  Egypt  had  more 
trouble  than  we  have,  before  entering  Erez  Israel.  They  would  have 
been  contented  with  bread  and  tea,  if  their  enemies  were  not  worse 
than  ours.  They  were  with  their  families  in  the  ‘Midbar’  (desert) 
without  bread,  and  they  suffered  from  scarcity  of  water.  They  had  to 
conquer  such  enemies  as  Amalek  and  Og,  the  King  of  Rashan.” 

“But  were  they  satisfied?”  rejoined  Reb  Mendel.  “Did  they  not 
complain  of  the  manna  and  the  scarcity  of  water?” 

“A1  tifta'h  peh  lesatan”  (open  not  the  mouth  of  Satan),  cried  out  Reb 
Samuel.  “God  forbid  that  we  meet  the  fate  of  our  ancestors  in  the 
desert.  They  transgressed  against  ‘the  Holy  One,  blessed  be  He/  and 
thus  all  died  on  the  way  and  were  not  permitted  to  enter  Erez  Israel, 
for  Erez  Israel  cannot  tolerate  sinners.  Now,  Reb  Mendel,  do  you 
want  to  follow  the  Dor  Hamidbar?  We  ought  to  thank  the  Holy  One, 
blessed  be  He,  that  He  hath  bestowed  upon  Israel  many  laws  and  pre¬ 
cepts  in  order  to  render  Israel  meritorious.  ‘Bread  and  tea  is  a  kosher 
meal/  ” 

“But,”  interrupted  Reb  David,  “why  do  the  goyim  dislike  us  here? 
We  are  not  going  to  take  anything  away  from  the  Ishmaelites,  as  the 
Israelites  did  in  olden  times.  I  agree  with  Nehama  that  we  are  in 
Golus,  Golus  on  the  ‘yabasha’  (land)  and  Golus  on  the  sea.  Golus  all 
over.” 

A  ten  days’  journey  brought  us  into'  the  Bay  of  Naples.  What  a 
vast  difference  in  natural  scenery!  Naples  presents  a  new  atmosphere, 
a  new  climate,  a  new  sky,  well  nigh  a  new  world.  The  city  that  has 
for  its  adage  “See  Naples  and  die”  leaves  a  lasting  impression.  It 
rises  from  the  shore  like  an  amphitheatre,  the  slopes  of  which  are  a 
series  of  volcanic  mountains,  with  the  Castle  of  St.  Elmo, — an  ancient 
fortress — at  the  summit. 

Standing  on  board  the  vessel,  under  a  vapory  veil  overhanging 
the  sea,  the  mountains  are  seen  rising  one  on  top  of  the  other,  like  a 
gallery,  and  appear  as  luminous  and  soft  as  clouds.  When  the  mist 


4 


NEW  JUDEA 


vanishes  before  the  sun,  Vesuvius  and  its  neighbors  make  their  ap¬ 
pearance  through  the  foliage.  The  entire  mountain  chain  is  then  in 
clear  relief  and  of  a  pale  violet  hue.  This  color  becomes  tender  when 
the  sun  goes  down,  until  it  resembles  the  tint  of  a  corolla.  The  sky 
around  is  serene. 

Naples  is  said  to  occupy  the  most  beautiful  site  in  Europe.  There 
is  no  other  city  in  the  world  that  combines  within  the  same  space  so 
much  natural  beauty,  and  so  many  objects  of  interest  to  the  antiquary, 
the  historian  and  the  geologist.  Indeed,  it  is  hard  to  describe  such 
wonderful  scenery.  “The  beauties  of  art  and  nature,”  said  Lord  Byron, 
“are  not  to  be  placed  on  the  same  level ;  a  picture  is  always,  less,  and  a 
landscape  is  always  more,  than  one’s  imagination  depicts.” 

Our  party  was  conducted  to  a  hotel  by  a  Jewish  girl  student,  of 
Warsaw,  Russia,  who  was  pursuing  a  course  of  study  in  chemistry  at 
the  University  of  Naples.  I  learned  from  her  that  a  score  or  more  of 
Russian  Jewish  students  were  attending  that  University,  in  the  various 
departments,  and  that  the  Conservatory  of  Music  also  had  a  number 
of  Russian  students. 

Some  had  been  there  for  years  and  spoke  the  language  with  the 
native  accent,  and  some  had  even  adopted  Italian  names.  I  am  think¬ 
ing  of  an  American  boy,  a  son  of  a  Hazan  (Reader  in  a  Synagogue), 
who  took  up  music  in  Italy  and  developed  into  a  fine  tenor.  He  as¬ 
sumed  the  name  of  Guiseppe  Bogatti,  which  is  a  modification  of  Joseph 
Bugash.  It  would  not  be  surprising  at  all,  if  among  the  famous  Italian 
opera  singers,  were  found  Jews  from  Barditchev  and  Wilna. 

There  was  a  Zionist  Circle  among  the  University  students  whose 
object  was  also  to  assemble  frequently  for  the  purpose  of  discussing 
Jewish  historical  and  current  topics. 

The  native  Jewish  population  is  thoroughly  assimilated  to  the 
general  population,  though  orthodox  with  regard  to  ritual.  They  are 
of  the  Sephardic  type  and  possess  an  attractive  looking  synagogue. 
Their  rabbi  is  strictly  orthodox,  speaks  Hebrew  fluently,  and  is  well 
disposed  to  the  Jewish  students,  most  of  whom  are  well  versed  in 
the  Hebrew  language  and  literature.  He  is  not  in  sympathy,  however, 
with  the  Zionist  movement. 

The  modern  Jewish  community  of  Naples  has  fallen  in  the  scale 
of  Jewish  learning  and  scholarship.  In  vain  do  we  look  for  traces  of 
the  Abarbanel  family2  and  David  Ibn  Yachya.3  The  Jewish  community 
of  Naples,  has,  indeed,  more  cause  to  be  proud  of  its  past  than  of  its 
present,  as  Naples  itself  is  of  more  interest  to  the  antiquary  and  his¬ 
torian  than  to  the  ordinary  tourist. 


*  Flourished  there  in  the  beginnig  of  the  sixteenth  century. 

*  Who  established  a  School  for  Jewish  Science  in  Naples  in  1518. 


CHAPTER  II. 


THE  CAPITAL  OF  THE  PTOLEMIES 

A  trip  on  the  Mediterranean  is  always  pleasant,  but  it  is  more  so 
for  the  tourist  leaving  Naples,  thoroughly  exhausted  from  the  strenu¬ 
ous  sight-seeing  of  Pompeii,  Herculaneum,  Vesuvius  and  many  other 
places.  One  is,  indeed,  delighted  to  return  on  board  of  a  vessel  and  en¬ 
joy  the  quiet  and  rest  of  the  sea. 

The  sky  was  clear;  the  air  was  balmy.  The  beauty  of  the  season 
was  upon  all  landscapes.  The  sea  was  calm  and  refreshing  as  we  made 
our  way  toward  Egypt.  Indeed,  it  was  difficult  to  realize  that  we  were 
on  the  Mediterranean,  the  common  theatre  of  the  entire  history  of 
antiquity,  the  Yam  Hagadol  (great  sea)  of  the  Bible,  whose  heroes 
watching  from  the  tops  of  their  mountains  were  inspired  by  it  with  awe 
and  admiration ;  the  sea  that  was  beloved  by  the  Greeks,  and  was  made 
memorable  by  the  journeys  and  misfortunes  of  Ulysses. 

A  voyage  of  four  days  brought  us  one  fine  morning  close  to  the 
coast  of  Egypt.  Expecting  to  enter  the  port  in  the  morning,  our  circle 
of  friends  were  on  deck  early  to  find  that  we  were  already  in  sight 
of  land,  the  long,  low-lying  line  of  African  coast  was  visible  scarcely 
rising  above  the  sea  level. 

Egypt  conveys  rather  a  melancholy  impression  as  the  eye  catches 
the  first  glimpse  of  it.  No  trees,  no  green  fields,  no  mountain  vistas; 
nothing  to  satisfy  the  imagination  that  Egypt  was  “a  land  of  plenty,” 
a  country  that  enjoyed  nature’s  blessing.  Indeed,  the  first  view  of 
Mizraim,  the  land  of  the  Pharaohs,  as  seen  from  the  ship,  is  that  of  a 
“house  of  bondage.” 

The  monotony  of  the  long,  low  sandy  coast  is  broken  only  by  the 
presence  of  a  large  number  of  windmills,  erected  upon  sand  banks  of 
various  heights,  scattered  all  along  the  coast  within  focal  distance. 
Some  of  these  mills  are  historical  in  point  of  age  and  show  that  the 
ancient  Egyptians,  not  having  water  or  steam  power,  pressed  the  wind 
into  service  to  turn  their  machinery. 

One  sighs  with  relief  at  the  very  view  of  Alexandria4 5  that  looms 
up  through  the  vapory  veil  overhanging  the  sea;  first  like  a  white  line 

4  Appears  to  be  the  city  of  No  Amon  of  Nahum,  iii,  8. 

5 


6 


NEW  JUDEA 


upon  a  flat  coast,  and  gradually  assuming  form  and  shape,  when  nu¬ 
merous  domes,  minarets,  spires  and  lofty  palm-trees  make  their  ap¬ 
pearance.  Soon  the  ship  passes  in  view  of  the  famous  and  historic 
Lighthouse,5  ‘'one  of  the  seven  wonders  of  the  world,”  and  a  little  be¬ 
yond  “Pompev’s  Pillar”  conspicuously  lifts  its  fine  shaft. 

In  traveling  one  is  often  disappointed  because  the  reality  does  not 
tally  with  the  imagination;  that,  however,  is  not  the  case  with  the 
Orient.  Indeed,  the  East  appears  more  Oriental  than  one  pictures, 
everything  looks  strange.  Fashion,  or  uniformity  of  dress,  is  strictly 
a  European  product.  There  is  much  more  independence  and  variety 
in  the  East.  The  Arab,  Nubian,  Bedouin  and  the  Dervish;  the  Official, 
the  Merchant,  the  Mechanic  and  the  Professional  man ;  the  Water 
Carrier,  Donkey  Boy  and  Dragoman,  are  independent  on  the  question 
of  garments,  and  appear  in  their  characteristic  individuality ;  each  con¬ 
sults  his  own  taste,  and  cares  little  about  his  neighbor’s  style.  Any  piece 
of  material,  of  all  colors  and  shades,  such  as  a  shawl,  a  shirt  or  a  sheet 
thrown  around  the  body,  serves  as  a  dress  to  the  Oriental. 

After  going  through  the  usual  formalities  and  scrutiny  of  the  cus¬ 
tom  house  officials,  we  were  hurried  to  a  hotel  situated  in  the  Street 
Mohamet  Ali,  a  broad  thoroughfare  the  architecture  of  which  is  not 
unlike  that  of  Italian  and  French  towns,  differing  only  in  the  presence 
here  of  palm  trees,  deep  blue  skies  and  mild  atmosphere. 

One  of  the  few  places  of  interest  to  the  traveler  in  Alexandria  is 
the  catacombs, — a  subterranean  excavation  for  the  interment  of  the 
dead — and  in  company  with  fellow  travelers,  under  the  guidance  of  an 
official  dragoman,  we  made  a  trip  to  that  subterranean  necropolis.  A 
ride  of  about  two  and  a  half  miles  towards  the  sea  brought  us  upon 
the  confines  of  this  wonderful  necropolis  that  bears  witness  to  the 
greatness  of  the  former  city,  and  whose  magnitude  and  architecture 
excite  the  admiration  of  all  observing  tourists.  The  tombs  look  like 
shelves,  chiseled  in  solid  rocks  in  the  walls  of  the  family  vaults.  Stand¬ 
ing  in  one  of  these  burial  chambers  it  awakens  in  one  serious  reflec¬ 
tions.  The  profound  stillness,  the  dim  light  of  the  flickering  candles, 
the  gloomy  associations  must  have  added  solemnity  to  the  obsequies  of 
the  dead. 

Some  of  these  tombs  date  back  to  an  early  Egyptian  period,  and 
in  them  are  found  sarcophagi,  mummies,  gold  and  silver  ornaments, 
vases  and  lachrymatories,  of  different  materials.* 8  One  sees  well  pre- 


8  Minar. 

8  The  contents  of  the  Catacombs  were  removed  to  museums  of  Europe  and  America. 


THE  CAPITAL  OF  THE  PTOLEMIES 


7 


served  skeletons  all  over  the  plate.  Tourists  carry  away  with  them  as 
relics,  skulls,  and  other  bones  of  the  body.  It  is  astounding-  that  ages 
of  decay  have  not  decomposed  these  human  remains,  and  it  testifies 
to  the  dexterity  of  the  Egyptian  embalmers.9 

These  eternal  graves,  and  the  development  of  the  art  of  embalm¬ 
ing  and  preserving  the  bodies  of  the  dead  among  the  Egyptians,  are 
probably  due  to  the  fact  that  the  early  Egyptians  were  strong  believ¬ 
ers  in  immortality  and  transmigration  of  the  soul,  and  its  ultimate  return 
to  the  body.  Herodotus  said:10  “The  Egyptians  were  the  first  people 
who  held  the  belief  that  the  soul  of  man  is  immortal.”  According  to 
Herodotus  they  believed:  when  the  body  dies  it  enters  the  form  of  an 
animal,  which  is  born  at  that  moment,  then  repassing  from  one  animal 
to  another,  until  it  circles  through  all  creatures  which  tenant  the  earth, 
the  water,  and  the  air,  after  which  it  enters  again  into  a  human  frame, 
and  is  born  anew,  the  whole  period  of  transmigration,  according  to  the 
Egyptians,  being  three  thousand  years-  The  constant  thought  of  death, 
retribution  and  of  the  long  migration  through  unknown  tracts,  im¬ 
parted  to  them  an  air  of  melancholia  and  sadness.* 11  Herodotus  also 
tells  of  a  strange  custom  observed  among  the  Egyptians.  A  wooden 
skeleton  in  a  coffin  was  carried  at  all  social  feasts  and  shown  to  the 
guests;  on  the  coffin  were  inscribed  the  following  words:  “Look  thou 
on  this  and  drink  and  be  merry,  for  when  thou  art  dead  such  shall  thou 
be.” 

The  catacombs  are  said  to  have  been  discovered  by  an  Arab  stone 
cutter  while  hewing  a  stone, — the  ground  under  it  collapsed. 

Modern  Alexandria  has  nothing  in  common  with  the  city  of  the 
Ptolemies;12  it  has  inherited  nothing  but  its  name.  It  can  be  inspected 
in  one  day,  but  offers  food  for  thought  for  a  much  longer  period,  for 
there  are  few  places  that  have  played  such  an  important  part  in  the 
history  and  legendary  literature  of  the  Jewish  people  as  Alexandria. 

It  was  in  Alexandria  that  the  Bible  was  first  translated  into  Greek 
by  seventy  interpreters  (Septuagint).13 

B  The  writer,  with  the  permission  of  the  Sheikh,  has  brought  with  him  a  skull  that 
bears  evidence  of  great  antiquity. 

10Herodotus,  Book  II,  124.  (Ed.  Blakesley,  London,  1854.) 

11  This  fear  was  relieved  by  the  hope  of  resurrection  as  symbolized  in  their  Myth  of 
Osiris,  their  Chief  Deity. 

12  “The  City  of  Cities,”  the  chief  commercial  centre  of  the  world;  Nineveh  had  been  de¬ 
stroyed  and  Babylon  fallen  when  Alexander  the  Great  built  the  city  that  bears  his  name. 

13  Constant  intercourse  of  Jews  with  Greeks  led  many  of  them  to  neglect  and  ultimately  to 
forget  their  national  language,  and  to  substitute  the  Greek  tongue.  For  these  Jews  the 
Torah  had  to  be  presented  in  a  Hellenic  garb.  (Jos.  Contr.  Ap.  11:5,  Mangey  Philo  ‘Cont. 
Flaecum  11.25.) 


NEW  JUDEA 


$ 

It  was  here  that  Philo  Judeus  attempted  the  blending  of  the  Mosaic 
religion  with  Platonic  philosophy,  later  known  as  Neo-platonism.14 

And  it  was  here  that  Jews  enjoyed  full  political  and  civil  liberties 
and  were  allowed  to  govern  themselves.  The  Ethnarch  was  at  the 
head  of  the  community  and  the  Sanhedrin  (Synod)  were  the  supreme 
court.  The  Talmud  has  it15  that  the  Sanhedrin  were  housed  in  a  large 
magnificent  synagogue,  constructed  in  the  form  of  a  basilica.  Among 
the  precious  things  in  the  Synagogue  were  seventy-one  golden  chairs 
for  each  of  the  Sanhedrin. 

The  Jewish  population  then,  according  to  the  Talmud,  was  i  ,200,000' 6 
among  them  many  Jews  of  Palestine,  who  fled  from  the  persecution  of 
Antiochus.  The  Jewish  influence  and  population  began  to  decrease 
with  the  Roman  control  of  Alexandria  when  they  were  gradually  de¬ 
prived  of  their  religious  and  political  liberties.  Alexandria,  however, 
remained  a  Jewish  centre  for  many  centuries,  in  fact,  as  late  as  640  of 
the  common  era,  when  Alexandria  was  captured  from  the  Byzantines 
by  the  Arabs.  Amru,  an  Arab  general,  writing  to  his  master,  the  Calif 
Omar,  referring  to  the  beauty  and  wealth  of  the  city,  said  that  he  had 
captured  a  city  containing  4000  palaces,  4000  baths,  12,000  dealers  in 
fresh  oil,  1200  gardens,  40,000  Jews  who  pay  tribute,  and  400  places  of 
amusement.160 

The  present  population  of  Alexandria  is  about  300,000,  composed 
of  Arabs,  Turks,  Greeks,  Armenians,  Syrians,  Frechmen,  Englishmen’ 
Germans  and  Jews;  the  Jewish  population  numbers  20,000. 

The  Jewish  community  is  governed  by  sixteen  elders,  elected  by 
the  community.  The  Chief  Rabbi17  is  the  head  of  the  community.  His 
decision  carries  as  much  weight  as  that  of  a  Councilor  Court.  The  po¬ 
litical  and  economic  condition  of  the  Jews  is  very  satisfactory.  They 
are  under  no  special  restrictions;  there  is  almost  a  total  absence  of 
Jewish  beggars,  and  this  fact  is  more  remarkable  in  view  of  the  com¬ 
paratively  large  number  of  Arab  and  European  poor.  The  Hebrew 
Charities,  ‘‘The  Societe  de  Bienfaisance,”  takes  care  of  all  Jewish  poor. 


14  For  this  fusion  he  made  use  of  that  art;  of  Allegory  which  he  had  learned  from  the 
Stoics,  to  show  that  Jewish  literature  as  represented  in  our  Scriptures  was  not  opposed  to 
the  philosophy  of  the  Greek. 

15  B.  Tal  Sukkah,  51b. 

18  The  Alexandrian  Library  is  said  to  have  contained  700,000  volumes.  Among  the  books 
wrere  the  entire  Aristotelian  collection  presented  by  Ptolemy  Philadelphus. 

18 b  This  estimate  is  disputed  by  historians,  who  claim  the  population  was  only  600,00. 

17  The  present  incumbent  is  Rabbi  Raffaelo  della  Pergola,  a  graduate  of  the  Rabbinical 
School  of  Florence. 


THE  CAPITAL  OF  THE  PTOLEMIES 


$ 

The  Jewish  Hospital,  founded  by  Baron  Menasse,  is  in  all  respects 
a  modern  institution.  It  is  situated  in  a  good  location,  has  ample 
grounds  and  a  spacious  edifice.  Dr.  M.  R.  Lattes,  an  Italian  Jewish, 
physician, — the  General  Surgeon, — conducted  our  party  to  the  wards. 
We  were  surprised  at  the  large  number  of  cases  of  ophthalmia  in  all 
forms  treated  there. 

With  this  hospital  is  connected  a  home  for  the  aged,  which  also 
furnishes  meals  to  discharged  patients  who  are  convalescing  and  need 
better  food  than  their  own  homes  can  afford. 

There  are  also  two  communal  schools,  where  Arabic  and  French 
are  taught  and  Hebrew  is  used  almost  as  a  living  tongue.  “Ecole  In¬ 
ternationale”  is  the  name  of  a  school  that  has  attained  so  high  a  degree 
of  efficiency  that  the  Governor  of  Alexandria  sends  his  children  there. 
It  was  originally  founded  by  the  Society  “Amele  Torah”  for  the  pur¬ 
pose  of  counteracting  the  missionaries. 


CHAPTER  III. 


CAIRO 

From  Alexandria  to  Cairo  is  one  hundred  and  thirty  miles-  A 
modern  railway  connects  these  cites.  It  is  a  four  hours’  journey  with 
the  train  and  is  full  of  surprise  and  interest.  The  train  cuts  through 
the  rich  plain  of  the  delta.  On  the  right  is  the  Lake  Mareotis,  a  large 
body  of  water  celebrated  in  the  history  of  ancient  Egypt.  Formerly 
it  had  an  outlet  through  a  canal  into  the  Nile  and  was  adorned  by  many 
fertile  islands.  Its  banks  were  thickly  settled.  The  Mareotic  wine  was 
well  known  in  Egypt  for  its  exquisite  qualites. 

Towards  the  left  of  the  railroad  is  visible  the  harbor  of  Aboukir, 
known  for  the  bloody  conflict  between  England  and  France  (1798), 
resulting  in  a  great  victory  for  General  Nelson’s  army.  The  further 
the  train  progressed,  the  fertility  of  the  land  seemed  to  increase.  Large 
verdant  fields  were  noticed  on  either  side,  and  groups  of  Fellahin  were 
seen  ploughing  with  buffalos,  or  pumping  water  for  their  groves. 
Fields  of  cotton,  beans,  wheat,  barley  and  trees,  such  as  the  sycamore 
and  the  graceful  date  palm  that  lifts  its  straight  and  elegant  form  in 
the  air,  were  in  sight. 

Many  strange-looking  mud  villages  with  throngs  of  half-dressed 
inhabitants  around  it,  gossiping  and  gesticulating,  and  tombs  of  sheiks 
with  their  little  dome-like  structure,  whitewashed  from  outside,  formed 
an  interesting  rather  than  pleasing  view. 

Watching  these  sights,  time  passed  quickly  and  we  arrived  in  the 
Egyptian  capital.  Parting  with  the  confusion  and  exciting  scenes  of 
the  station,  we  soon  came  to  Hotel  Bristol,  where  we  made  our  quar¬ 
ters. 

Grand  Cairo  (Masr  el  Kahirah)  is  the  most  interesting  of  all  East¬ 
ern  cities.  It  has  a  thoroughly  oriental  character.  The  majority  of 
the  population  are  Egyptian  Arabs,  the  rest  are  Copts  (Egyptian 
Christians),  Turks,  Bedouins,  Jews,  Italians,  Frenchmen,  Greeks, 
Englishmen  and  some  Americans — the  last  are  mainly  tourists. 

Its  population  is  about  a  half  a  million,  and  it  appears  as  though 
all  the  inhabitants  of  Grand  Cairo  lived  on  the  streets-  One  sees  be¬ 
fore  him  on  the  public  highway  a  moving  picture  show  of  races,  creeds, 

10 


CAIRO 


11 


nationalities  and  costumes.  Each  nationality  wears  its  characteristic 
garb ;  some  in  European  styles,  others  in  a  thoroughly  Oriental  fashion, 
and  still  others  in  a  mixed  attire,  such  as  a  red  “fez”  combined  with 
European  garments. 

There  are  turbaned  men  and  veiled  women, — the  latter  often  carry¬ 
ing  one  or  two  children  on  the  shoulders  and  a  load  on  the  head.  The 
shouting  of  the  water  carriers,  and  peddlers,  as  they  call  out  their  bar¬ 
gains,  the  braying  of  the  donkeys,  the  growling  of  the  camels,  the  bark¬ 
ing  of  the  dogs  and  the  rolling  of  the  carriages  make  a  deafening  noise. 

The  streets  are  narrow,  covered  with  mats,  old  carpets,  rafters  and 
branches  of  trees  to  keep  out  the  sun.  The  houses'  are  high,  the 
upper  stories  frequently  overhang  the  streets.  In  Muskee  the  crowds 
are  so  dense  that  it  is  hard  to  pass  through  and  the  noise  is  so  loud  that 
one  cannot  hear  one’s  own  voice. 

Esbekieh  is  the  great  public  square  or  city  park  frequented  by 
foreigners.  The  centre  is  planted  with  trees  and  green  shrubs.  It  has 
fine  walks ;  during  the  day  citizens  of  all  classes  congregate  beneath 
the  inviting  shade  and  in  the  evening  they  gather  to  listen  to  a  band 
of  music. 

The  streets  are  full  of  cafes.  Refreshments  are  served  in  the 
open  air  in  front  of  the  cafes  on  tables  and,  in  cases  of  natives,  on  the 
bare  sidewalks,  and  consist  of  black  coffee,  lemonade,  and  confection¬ 
ery.  The  cafes  also  furnish  a  Nargileh  to  the  tobacco  habitues  and 
one  can  see  many  Arabs  sitting  on  the  ground,  with  their  legs  folded, 
in  front  of  the  Nargileh,  puffing  away. 

Our  first  excursion  in  Cairo  was  to  the  Citadel ;  from  there  one 
can  get  a  commanding  view  of  the  city  and  the  valley  of  the  Nile.  The 
view  makes  an  indelible  impression  upon  the  traveler.  Within  the 
limits  of  the  Citadel  is  the  beautiful  Mosque  of  Mehemet  Ali.  This 
wonderful  structure  is  erected  as  a  monument  to  him.  The  walls  and 
floor  are  covered  with  Oriental  alabaster,  and  the  tomb  in  the  centre 
of  the  Mosque,  has  the  most  exquisite  gold  and  blue  colorings.  The 
interior  of  the  Mosque  has  no  seats.  The  floors  are  covered  with  car¬ 
pets  and  rugs  for  the  purpose  of  kneeling  and  prostration.  It  has  no 
altar  and  no  pictures  are  seen  anywhere.  There  is  only  a  pulpit  or 
reading  desk.  The  interior  appearance  of  a  Mohammedan  house  of 
worship  speaks  for  the  iconoclastic  character  of  Islam. 

We  visited  the  Arabic  Museum.  The  collection  is  a  new  one  and 
bespeaks  the  poverty  of  the  Arabic  art.  Annexed  to  the  Khedivian 
library  is  the  great  collection  of  the  Koran.  Close  to  300  copies  writ- 


12 


NEW  JUDEA 


ten  in  various  ages  are  displayed  here.  One  book  particularly  attracted 
my  attention.  It  was  exhibited  in  a  glass  case ;  the  letters  were  in  gold 
surrounded  with  a  framework  of  most  delicate  coloring.  It  must  be 
remembered  when  the  prophet  died,  his  disciple,  Abu  Bekr,  ordered  the 
young  Said  Tabit,  the  prophet’s  scribe,  to  collect  the  scattered  frag¬ 
ments  of  the  Koran  and  make  into  one  law.  The  Mohammedans  pos¬ 
sess  a  tradition  that  the  prophet  had  given  the  Koran  in  fragments,  and 
the  young  Said  had  to  collect  the  words  of  the  Lord  from  palm  leaves, 
stones  and  particularly  human  hearts,  where  the  words  fell  from  the 
mouth  of  the  prophet. 

Our  next  trip  was  to  Rhoda,  a  beautiful  island  whose  grassy 
banks  and  shady  groves  were  the  resort  of  pleasure  parties  from  Cairo. 

Tradition  has  it  that  on  this  island  the  daughter  of  Pharaoh,  the 
tender  Princess  Bent  Anat  1-2  rescued  little  Moses  from  a  watery  grave. 

On  this  island  is  also  situated  the  antiquated  Nilometer.  This 
Nilometer  is  located  in  a  large  square  room,  in  the  centre  of  which  is 
a  stone  pillar  having  a  graduated  scale.  By  means  of  this  pillar  is 
ascertained  the  daily  rise  of  the  Nile,  and  this  is  made  known  every  day 
during  the  inundation  of  the  Nile. 

OLD  CAIRO* 1 

By  far  the  most  interesting  place  to  the  Jewish  traveler  is  Old 
Cairo.  The  residence  of  Maimonides  is  still  intact.  Tradition  has  it 
that  he  wrote  his  great  code  “Yad  Hachazakah”  and  his  philosophical 
work,  “Moreh  Nebuchim”  (The  Guide  of  the  Perplexed),  in  this  very 
place.  He  is  still  known  in  Cairo  as  Rabbenu  Hakadosh  (Our  Holy 
Master). 

The  largest  synagogue  in  Cairo  in  the  Oriental  quarters  is  named 
after  him.  An  old  Bible  in  the  archives  of  that  synagogue  is  said  to 
have  been  written  in  his  own  handwriting. 

The  name  “Rambam”  carries  with  it  many  traditions  and  legends 
which  are  almost  a  folk  lore  among  the  Jews  of  Cairo. 

One  legend  has  it  that  “Maimonides  and  his  disciple  had  for  years  been  interested  in  the 
search  for  a  medicine  that  would  enable  one  to  live  forever  (Elixir  Vitae).  In  order  to  test 
the  efficacy  of  their  discovery,  one  of  them  must  allow  himself  to  be  killed  and  dissected. 
They  cast  lots,  who  was  to  be  experimented  upon,  and  the  lot  fell  upon  the  disciple  and 
Maimonides.  Maimonides  immediately  cut  him  up,  sprinkled  the  pieces  with  the  wonderful 

1  In  rabbinic  literature  she  is  known  as  “Bathyoh”  (daughter  of  God).  (Vayikra  Kab¬ 
bah  1:1,  Megillah  13:1,  Jer. 

*  Or,  according  to  Josephus,  Thermuthis. 

1  A1  Fostat,  founded  by  Amru  Ibn  Al-Asi,  Oil. 


THE  COLONY  GHEDERAH 


(See  Page  77) 


A  BEDOUIN  TENT 

Probably  the  same  kind  of  dwelling  that  sheltered  Abraham,  made  of  black  goat  s 
hair  and  called  by  the  Arabs  “house  of  hair.”  Black  ...  .  as  t  e  -n  s  o 

Kedar.”— Song  of  Sol.  1:5:  “And  the  Lord  appeared  unto  him  (Abraham).  .  .  . 
and  he  sat  in  the  tent  door  in  the  heat  of  the  day.”  Gen.  18:1. 


(See  Page  63) 


A  VIEW  or 

“The  flowers  anpear  on  the  earth; 
come”.  (Song  11:13). 


RECKOBOTH 

the  time  of  the  singing  of  birds  is 

(See  Page  69) 


A  STREET  IN  PETACH  TIKVAH 

/: 


(See  Page  168) 


CAIRO 


13 


liquid  and  put  him  in  an  air  tight  Jar.  It  was  not  to  be  opened  for  nine  months.  After  that 
time  the  student  was  to  come  out  alive  and  immortal.  But  the  young  disciple  thus  dis¬ 
membered  was  a  physician  to  the  Sultan  and  when  the  timei  passed  by  and  he  did  not  turn 
up,  search  was  made  for  him  and  he  was  reported  as  having  last  been  seen  with  Maimonides. 
Maimonides  was  summoned  to  the  palace  and  the  Jewish  philosopher  was  forced  to  confess 
what  he  had  done.  The  Calif,  seeing  that  he  was  alive,  very  indignantly  broke  the,  jav  ‘‘in 
order  that  no  man  should  proclaim  himself  God.’  ” 

One  of  the  Jewish  antiquities  in  Old  Cairo  is  the  Jewish  Cemetery 
of  Ba-Satin,  situated  on  the  right  of  the  Nile.  This  graveyard  is  a  very 
old  one,  and  it  is  said  that  numerous  manuscripts  removed  from  the 
Genizah  of  the  old  Synagogue,  were  interred  there. 

The  old  Synagogue  named  Beth  Hak’neseth  Shel  Ezra2  is  over  eight 
hundred  years  old.  Maimonides  mentions  this  house  of  worship  and 
he  says  that  Fostat  (meaning  the  synagogue  there)  is  a  double  Sabbath- 
journey  from  Cairo.  In  its  archives  is  found  a  decree  of  a  certain 
Kalif  wherein  he  confirms  to  the  Jews  the  ownership  of  the  Synagogue 
of  Ezra. 

Natives  of  Cairo  sometimes  call  it  Keneseth  Eliyahu  because  of  the 
legend  that  the  prophet  used  to  pray  in  that  synagogue.  Others  be¬ 
lieve  that  Ezra,  the  Scribe,  was  its  founder.  In  a  special  Ark  is  found 
a  scroll  of  the  Torah,  which,  according  to  tradition,  Ezra  the  Scribe 
wrote  with  his  own  hands. 

The  natives  are  very  superstitious  about  this  scroll.  They  believe 
that  whoever  is  present  in  the  Synagogue  at  the  time  the  scroll  is  taken 
out  of  the  Ark  will  die  within  a  year.  The  Synagogue  is  full  of  an¬ 
tiquities. 

It  was  in  a  depository  of  this  Old  Synagogue  of  Fostat  that  a. 
wonderful  treasure  of  old  manuscripts  was  discovered. 

The  identification  of  fragments  of  a  Ben  Sira  text  prompted  the* 
late  Solomon  Schechter  to  sail  to  Old  Cairo  and  bring  back  practically 
the  entire  written  contents  of  the  Genizah  that  constitutes  the  Taylor 
Schechter  Collection  of  the  Cambridge  University  Library. 

HELIOPOLIS  (ON  or  BETH  SHEMESH) 

The  next  day  our  party,  consisting  of  five  Americans  and  one  Ca¬ 
nadian,  headed  by  a  dragoman,  an  old  Sephardic  Jew  (Absalom  Levy), 
was  on  the  way  to  Heliopolis,  the  ancient  “On”-3 

2  Many  legends  are  woven  around  this  synagogue.  Benjamin  of  Tudela,  who  visited  it  in  • 
1113,  says,  “on  the  very  spot  where  this  synagogue  stands,  Moses  prayed  that  the  seventh 
plague  (hail)  should  cease.” 

3  In  Hieroglyphic  inscription  it  is  known  as  the  city  of  Obelisks. 


14 


NEW  JUDEA 


This  city  lies  about  eight  miles  north  of  Cairo  and  is  easily  reached 
over  a  good  road. 

The  day  was  bright  and  clear  and  a  refreshing  breeze  rendered  our 
trip  sufficiently , cool  even  in  the  sun.  We  soon  arrived  at  our  desti¬ 
nation. 

It  was  in  this  city  that  Joseph  was  sold  as  a  slave  and  finally  elevat¬ 
ed  by  Pharaoh4  to  be  Vice-King  and  married  Asenath,  the  daughter  of 
Potipherah  (dedicated  to  Rah),  the  priest  of  On,  who.  became  the 
mother  of  Ephraim  and  Menasseh.  Their  marriage  has  given  rise  to 
Jewish  legends  and  an  Apocryphal  Novel  which  exists  in  Greek  under 
the  title,  “The  Life  and  Confession  of  Asenath,  the  daughter  of  Penti- 
pheres  of  Heliopolis.”  The  narartive  follows: 

The  beautiful  maiden  lived  contented  and  disc'ouraged  all 
lovers,  including  Pharaoh’s  oldest  son,  who  loved  her,  but  was  for¬ 
bidden  by  his  father  to  marry  her.  When,  however,  she  saw  Jo¬ 
seph  from  her  window  as  he  entered  Heliopolis  to  supervise  his 
collection  of  corn  in  the  first  year  of  plenty,  she  was  captivated 
by  his  beauty,  went  down  and  exclaimed,  “My  Lord,  be  blessed 
of  the  most  Pligh  God.”  At  her  father’s  bidding,  she  made  bold 
to  kiss  him.  Joseph  refused  the  idolatress,  but  noticing  her  tears, 
placed  his  hands  on  her  head  and  prayed  to  the  God  of  his  ances¬ 
tors  to  bring  her  over  to  the  faith  of  Israel.  His  prayers  were 
heard.  She  threw  her  idols  out  of  the  window  and  spent  seven 
days  in  repentance  and  was  married  to  Joseph  by  Pharaoh  with 
great  pomp  and  ceremony. 

Heliopolis  was  the  Oxford  of  ancient  Egypt.  In  this  city  were 
situated  the  schools  of  science  and  religion.  It  was  the  place  where  the 
Pharaohs  were  educated  and  where  they  received  the  name,  “The  Lords 
of  Heliopolis.”  In  its  celebrated  schools  Moses  was  taught,  “in  all 
the  wisdom  of  the  Egyptians.”  Here  he  was  reared  up  in  the  midst 
of  wealth,  royalty  and  all  the  pageantry  of  idolatrous  worship,  but 
the  sophisms  of  their  philosophy,  the  art  of  their  magicians,  and  the 
mysteries  of  their  priests  and  hartumim,  could  not  eradicate  from  that 
young  heart  the  love  of  his  kindred.  He  turned  his  back  upon  the 
honors  of  the  court  and  chose  to  suffer  affliction  with  his  people  rather 
than  to  live  with  the  royalty  of  Egypt. 

In  these  schools  Herodotus,  the  Father  of  History,  acquired  most 
of  his  knowledge  of  that  land,  and  here,  according  to  Strabo,  Plato,  the 

4  Pir-aa,  the  great  house,  a  name  of  an  office  given  to  the  rulers  of  Egypt — like  the  term 
Sublime-Porte  applied  to  the  Sultans  of  Turkey. 


CAIRO 


15 


Prince  of  Greek  Philosophers,  spent  many  years  in  study.  Strabo 
even  claims  to  have  seen  the  identical  house  where  Plato  lived. 

Nothing  remained  of  this  centre  of  learning  but  traces  of  massive 
walls,  fragments  of  temples,  and  an  obelisk  of  sixty-eight  feet  high  that 
bears  the  name  of  Usertessen  I,  the  second  King  of  the  twelfth 
dynasty.46  The  other  obelisks  from  Heliopolis,  including  “Cleopatra’s 
Needle,”  were  taken  to  Alexandria  by  Tiberius.  One  was  removed  to 
London,  where  it  now  adorns  the  banks  of  thq  Thames  River,  one  to 
New  York,  where  it  can  be  seen  in  Central  Park,  and  two  were  taken 
to  Rome-  Thus  the  prophecy  of  Jeremiah  was  fulfilled: 

“He  shall  break  the  images  of  Beth  Shemesh  that  is  in  the  land 
of  Egypt,  and  the  houses  of  the  gods  of  the  Egyptians  shall  be  burned 
with  fire.”5 

Strabo  (24  B.  C.  E.)  found  the  very  ground  on  which  the  prophet 
spoke  a  heap  of  ruins.  It  was  not  many  years  after  Jeremiah  uttered 
these  words  that  the  Babylonians  pushed  their  conquest  into  Egypt,  laid 
waste  its  temples,  burned  the  wooden  gods  of  Heliopolis  and  loaded 
themselves  with  the  spoils  of  the  land. 

PYRAMIDS  AND  SPHINX 

On  the  following  morning,  we  paid  our  respects  to  what  was  for¬ 
merly  considered  the  first  of  the  Seven  Wonders  of  the  World,  the 
Pyramids  (Pi-rama,  the  mountain)  of  Ghizeh,  ten  miles  from  Cairo, 
at  the  edge  of  the  Lybian  desert.  We  took  the  street  car,  crossed  the 
Nile  over  a  stone  bridge.  The  road  we  passed  was  literally  lined  with 
extensive  groves  of  oranges  and  date  palms,  and  fields  of  wheat,  clover 
and.  all  sorts  of  flowers. 

Many  of  the  farm  houses  on  the  way  are  built  of  unbaked  bricks. 
We  saw  poor  people  mixing  clay  with  “teben,”  putting  them  in  wooden 
moulds  and  drying  them  in  the  sun,  reminding  one  of  the  bricks  the 
Israelites  made  in  the  same  place  under  the  rod  of  Pharaoh’s  officers. 

In  about  two  hours  we  reached  the  pyramids.  It  is  difficult  to 
describe  the  emotions  with  wdiich  one  gazes  on  these  wonderful  struc¬ 
tures — the  work  of  men  who  lived  four  thousand  years  ago.6 

4b  The  Pharaoh  that  reigned  over  Egypt  when  Joseph  was  there. 

6  Jer.  xliil  :13. 

9  Pyramids  are  mountains  of  stone  built  by  men  for  the  same  purpose  as  the  rock- 
tombs ;  to  hide  a  royal  mummy  in  perfect  security.  As  soon  as  the  King  ascended  the 
throne,  he  commenced  to  build  a  monument  for  himself  and  a  place  for  his  sepulchre.  His 
ideas  were  to  reign  after  his  death.  The  size  of  the  pyramid  corresponded  to  the  length  of 
time  which  he  reigned.  Each  year  was  added  a  new  row  of  stone.  The  longer  the  King 
lived  the  higher  rose  the  structure.  The  exterior  of  these  pyramids  was  covered  with 
polished  granite  stone.  As  soon  as  the  monarch  died  he  was  embalmed  and  his  body  placed 
in  a  sarcophagus  that  was  prepared  in  the  chamber  within  the  pyramid.  The  pyramid  was 
then  closed. 


16 


NEW  JUDEA 


The  largest  pyramid  is  that  of  Cheops  (2123  B.  C-  E.),  built  two 
hundred  years  before  the  birth  of  Abraham.  The  sides  of  this  great 
pyramid  measure  six  hundred  and  forty-six  feet  and  its  base  occupies  an 
area  of  thirteen  acres  of  land.  The  apex  of  this  pyramid  has  been 
broken  off ;  as  it  is,  it  measures  four  hundred  and  sixty  feet  high.  This 
and  two  smaller  pyramids  are  situated  in  Ghizeh,  an  ancient  city 
about  eight  miles  from  Cairo,  and  are  therefore  called  the  Pyramids 
i A  Ghizeh. 

The  view  from  above  the  pyramid  is  truly  magnificent.  To  the 
west  lies  the  Great  Sahara,  to  the  south  the  Pyramids  of  Sakkareh 
and  Dashoor,  to  the  northeast  the  eye  wanders  over  a  landscape  of 
great  richness  and  beauty, — the  delta  of  the  Nile,  with  its  fields  of 
vegetation,  its  groves  of  palms,  oranges  and  citrons.  In  the  distance 
is  Grand  Cairo,  with  its  numerous  mosques,  minarets  and  domes,  and 
far  beyond  is  the  Desert  of  Arabia. 

THE  SPHINX 

About  twelve  hundred  feet  away  from  the  pyramid  is  the  colossal 
Sphinx,  with  its  enormous  human  head  and  lion  paws,  rising  above 
the  ground,  in  the  sand  of  which  he  was  buried  for  ages.  The  Sphinx, 
like  all  other  Egyptian  gods,  is  monstrous  union  of  man  and  beast. 
The  Arab  calls  him  “Abuhol”  (the  father  of  terror) .  This  idol  is  carved 
out  of  natural  rock  and  is  about  sixty-three  feet  high,  and  the  cir¬ 
cumference  of  its  forehead  is  one  hundred  and  two  feet ;  the  length  is 
one  hundred  and  forty-three  feet.  A  hieroglyphic  inscription  indicates 
that  the  Sphinx  is  a  product  of  the  Obelisk  Builder,  Thotmes  III  (1490 
B.  C.  E.) 


MEMPHIS 

Leaving  these  monuments  of  antiquity,  we  mounted  our  camels 
and  marched  through  the  desert  towards  the  ruins  of  Sakkareh.  Two 
Hours’  travel  under  the  hot  sun  brought  us  to  a  subterranean  tunnel, 
which  was  probably  the  necropolis  of  the  city  of  Memphis.  On  the 
slope  of  a  huge  sand  dune  is  found  the  entrance  to  that  cavern.  We 
went  in,  armed  with  torches,  led  by  a  Bedouin.  The  inside  of  the 
walls  of  this  necropolis  was  adorned  with  a  bas-relief  of  hieroglyphic 
inscriptions.  From  there  we  continued  our  walk  to  another — a  larger 
cavern.  We  went  down  a  long  flight  of  stairs  before  we  entered.  To 


CAIRO 


17 


the  right  and  left  of  a  long  passage  were  large  galleries.  Some  of  these 
galleries  contained  sarcophagi  of  granite  stone  partly  covered  with  a 
heavy  granite  lid.  These  sarcophagi  are  supposed  to  be  the  resting 
place  of  the  Bull  God  and  Ox  God  the  Egyptians  used  to  worhip. 

After  resting  for  some  time  in  these  cool  chambers,  we  continued 
our  journey  towards  the  city  of  ancient  Memphis  (Noph  or  Moph  of 
the  Scriptures).7 

An  exhausting  march  under  the  hot  sun  of  the  desert  brought  us 
to  the  capital  of  the  Pharaohs.  What  ideas  of  magnificence  this  name 
awakens !  And  yet  we  saw  before  us  only  an  elevated  portion  of 
land,  covered  with  palm  trees  and  a  miserable  Arab  mud  village  called 
“Metrahennv,”  with  ragged  inmates  all  around.  It  seemed  almost  in¬ 
credible  that  we  were  upon  the  very  ground  where  once  flourished 
the  most  powerful,  populous  and  magnificent  capital  of  twelve  dynas¬ 
ties  of  Pharaohs.  Modern  research  and  excavation,  however,  have 
established  beyond  doubt  that  where  we  were  was  Memphis. 

In  the  great  mounds  of  debris,  fragments  of  pottery,  pieces  of 
broken  statuary  and  sculptured  idols  have  been  picked  up  by  the  na¬ 
tives,  and  there  a  colossal  statue  of  Rameses  II8  was  discovered  that 
established  the  identity  of  Memphis. 

This  statue  formerly  stood  upon  a  great  pedestal,  supported  on 
one  side  by  the  God  Pthah  (the  image  of  creative  power),  on  the  other 
side  by  the  emblems  of  truth.  In  his  hand  he  holds  a  scroll  bearing  at 
one  end  his  name,  Amun-Mai  Rameses.  At  his  feet,  sculptured  from 
the  same  stone,  is  the  figure  of  a  little  girl  said  to  be  his  daughter. 
Upon  a  breast-plate  around  his  neck  is  traced  the  name  of'  Rameses  II. 

The  statue  now  lies  prostrate  on  the  ground,  broken  off  at  its 
base,  and  face  downward,  half  buried  in  a  mud  puddle,  and  during- the 
inundation  of  the  Nile  it  is  covered  with  water.  Many  Arab  children 
were  bathing  around  this  figure.  “How  have  the  mighty  fallen!”9 

We  sat  down  upon  this  image.  Before  us  was  the  Great  Nile  on 
one  side,  the  Pyramids  and  silent  Sphinx  on  the  other,  and  the  only 
surviving  witness  of  Memphis, — the  figure  of  Rameses  II,  on  which 

7  Hos.  ix:6;  Ezek.  xxx:13-lG;  Isa.  xix:13;  Jer.  ii:16. 

8  Or  Rameses  the  Great,  the  Pharaoh  who  did  not  know  Joseph. 

9  His  sunken  and  shriveled  mummy  was  discovered  in  1881  with  many  other  royal  mum¬ 
mies  at  Deir-el  Bahark,  near  Thebes,  a,  city  up  the  Nile,  and  was _  removed  to  the  Museum 
of  Cairo,  where  he  is  exhibited.  The  inspired  prediction  of  Jeremiah  (XL\T-10  I  haraon. 
King  of  Egypt,  is  but  a  noise,  he  hath  passed  the  time  appointed,”  that  is  to  say,  1  haraoh 
is  of  no  account  now,  he  has  had  his  opportunities  and  lost  them,  his  day  is  over,  he  is  now 

only  a  noise  has  thus  been  fulfilled.  '  :  i  5 


18 


NEW  JUDEA 


we  rested.  It  was  here  that  the  magnificent  temples  were  dedicated  to 
Pthah,  and  to  other  Gods  such  as  the  Bull  God  Apis  and  the  Sacred 
Ox  Menvis.  Menvis  was  dedicated  to  the  sun  and  Apis  to  the  moon. 
A  gorgeous  temple  to  Venus  and  another  one  to  Serapis  were  also  lo¬ 
cated  here. 

It  was  here  that  Onias,  the  legitimate  heir  to  the  high  priesthood  at 
Jerusalem — being  disappointed  of  obtaining  his  dignity  in  the  Holy 
City,  where  the  honor  had  been  bestowed  upon  the  unworthy  Alcimus 
r — persuaded  Ptolemy  (Philometor)  to  grant  him  a  plot  of  ground 
upon  which  he  might  build  a  temple  for  Jewish  worship,  assuring  hint 
that  such  benevolence  would  secure  for  him  the  loyalty  of  his  Jewish 
subjects.  “Ptolemy  gave  him  a  place  one  hundred  and  eighty  furlongs 
distant  from  Memphis  in  the  nome  of  Heliopolis,  where  he  built  a 
fortress  and  a  temple,  not  like  that  at  Jerusalem,  but  such  as  resembled  a 
tower.10  Ruins  presumed  to  be  of  the  Temple  of  Onias  were  recently 
discovered  at  Tel-el  Yehoudiyeh,  “mound  of  the  Jews,”  near  the 
ancient  Leontopolis,  by  Professor  Flinders  Petrie  which  corroborates 
the  description  of  Josephus-* 11 

The  victorious  king  of  Babylon,  having  captured  Jerusalem  and 
conquered  Tyre,  led  his  army  into  Egypt  (600  B.  C.  E.).  Memphis 
was  invaded,  the  pride  of  Egypt  was  humbled,  her  kings  degraded,  and 
what  was  left  by  the  Babylonians,  the  Persians  under  Cambyses  finished 
when  he  led  his  army  into  Egypt  and  Memphis  was  again  besieged  and 
laid  waste,  from  which  blow  it  never  recovered. 

Reflecting  on  these  demolished  walls,  fallen  statues  and  ruined 
temples  with  their  idols  one  is  deeply  impressed  with  the  prophecy  of 
Ezekiel. 


10  It  is  hard  to  tell  what  importance  the  temple  of  Onias  assumed  to  the  Jews  of  Egypt. 
Josephus  gives  two  different  and  contradictory  accounts  of  It  (comp,  the  passages  in 
Ant.  xii  :5-9.  xx  :10,  and  Bell  Jud.  xii:10)  and  the  Talmudic  references  about  that  temple  are 
also  confusing  (see  Menahot  109,  Abodah  Zarah  52A).  Certaiu,  facts,  however,  appear  to  be 
clear.  While  the  rabbis  for  a  long  time  looked  with  favor  upon  Onias’  Temple  (see  Menahot, 
119),  the  temple  never  became  a  rival  to  that  of  Jerusalem.  It  never  diminished  the  tributes 
fhat  the  Egyptian  Jews  paid  to  the  temple  of  the  Holy  City.  Their  tithes  for  the  poor  Jews 
of  Judea  did  not  cease  and  their  pilgrimages  on  the  high  holidays  to  Jerusalem  with  con¬ 
tributions  of  gold  and  silver  did  not  stop.  The  pilgrims,  according  to  Philo,  “traveled  over 
almost  impassable  roads  which  they  looked  upon  as  easy  In  that  it  led  them  to  piety.” 

11  According  to  Josephus,  the  Jews  of  Egypt  saw  in  their  temple  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah, 
that  “there  shall  be  an  altar  to  the  Lord  in  the  midst  of  the  land  of  Egypt”  (Is.,  XIX  19). 
The  reference  of  Isaiah,  however,  according  to  some  was  rather  to  a  “Bamah”  (high  place, 
a  temporary  sanctuary)  than  a  temple.  It  was  a  place  where  the  priestly  ritual  was  car¬ 
ried  out  and  offerings  brought  by  those  who  w’ere  too  poor  to  undertake  the  pilgrimage  to 
Jerusalem. 


CAIRO 


19 


“Thus  said  the  Lord,  I  will  destroy  the  idols,  I  will  cause  the 
images  to  cease  out  of  Noph.”12 

Jeremiah  also  foresaw  its  destruction.  “Noph  shall  be  waste  and 
desolate.”13  These  prophetic  declarations!  were  uttered  at  a  time  when’ 
the  city  sat  in  majesty  upon  the  banks  of  the  Nile,  the  crown  of  her 
pride  unbroken,  the  splendor  and  magnificence  of  her  wealth  unlimited. 

15  Ez.  xxx  :13. 

13  Jer.  xlvi  :19. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


JEWS  IN  CAIRO 

Despite  the  fact  that  the  Scriptures  prohibited1  the  return  of  Israel 
to  Egypt,2 * * * * *  there  was  never  a  period  in  Jewish  history8  when  Egypt  had 
no  Jews.  The  Genizah  in  Fostat  bears  sufficient  evidence  that  there 
must  have  been  not  only  a  Jewish  centre,  but  there  was  a  large  spiritual 
centre  as  well. 

Maimonides  found  in  Egypt  a  code  written  in  the  year  1008.  He 
also  found  fragments  of  the  Talmud,  which  he  thought  to  be  five  hun" 
dred  years  old.3B 

The  number  of  manuscripts  of  the  same  text  discovered  in  the 
old  Synagogue  at  Fostat  shows  that  books  were  widely  read  in  Old 
Cairo. 

The  settlement  of  the  Jews  in  Cairo  on  a  large  scale  begins  about 
1160,  from  the  arrival  in  Cairo  of  Moses  Ben  Maimon  (popularly 
known  as  Rambam).  He  established  his  residence  in  Fostat,  where  he 
became  the  court  physician  of  Saladin’s  vizier  where  he  received  the 
grand  title  “A1  Millah”  (Head  of  the  Nation).  His  name  soon  attracted 
many  Jews  from  countries  near  and  far.  The  influence  of  Maimonides 
continued  in  five  generations  of  his  descendants  who  were  leaders  of 
the  Cairo  Jewish  Community. 

Benjamin  of  Tudela  (1270)  found  six  thousand  native  Jews  in 
Cairo,  also  two  hundred  Italian  Jews  that  formed  a  separate  community. 
He  speaks  of  eight  synagogues,  one  of  which  bears  the  name  of  Mai¬ 
monides.  He  makes,  however,  no  mention  of  the  Karaite  Community. 

Ibrahim  Mohammed,  an  Arabic  writer  and  historian  (1360-1450), 
says  that  he  found  ten  synagogues  in  Cairo.  Voltera  (1481)  found  in 
Cairo  six  congregations. 

In  the  sixteenth  century  David  Reubeni  (1523)  speaks  of  Jewish 
streets  in  Cairo,  one  of  which  was  named  “Darb-al-Yehudi.”  Samuel 

1  Deut.  xvii:16,  Jer.  xlii  :17. 

*  The  return  to  Egypt  was  permitted  on  the  ground  that  Old  Mizraim  was  destroyed  amd 

this  was  a  new  land.  Yad  Hachazakah  Mlachim  v:7,  8. 

*  Somf  Jews  must  have  remained  in  Egypt  even  after  the  Exodus,  e.  g.,  disabled  persons 

or  parturient  women,  and  those  who  for  some  reason  or  other  would  not  undertake  such  a 

long  and  tedious  Journey. 

*b  Yad,  Malved  15:2. 


20 


JEWS  IN  CAIRO 


21 


ben  David,  a  Karaite  writer  who  visited  Cairo  about  the  middle  of  the 
seventeenth  century,  claims  that  he  saw  there  thirty-one  synagogues 
and  fifteen  charitable  institutions.  Eben  Sappir4  found  only  600  native 
Jews,  200  Italian  Turkish  Jews  and  150  Karaite  families  living  in  a 
separate  quarter. 

From  the  records  of  these  travelers  can  be  concluded  that  since 
the  days  of  Maimonides  Cairo  always  had  a  large  Jewish  community, 
although  the  population  had  been  'fluctuating.  The  present  Jewish 
population  of  Cairo  is  put  down'  at  35,000.  They  ?are  divided  into 
Sephardim,  or  the  native  Jews,  Ashkenazim,  or  the  immigrant  Jews — 
the  latter  form  a  small  minority  of  the  population — and  Karaites.  The 
last  do  not  mix  with  the  others  but  form  a  community  by  themselves. 
By  far  the  largest  and  most  influential  people  in  Cairo  are  the  Sephar¬ 
dim.  They  came  here  from  many  lands — Damascus,  Aleppo,  Morocco, 
Arabia,  Corfu  and  other  Oriental  countries.  The  Italian  Jews  form  a 
separate  community. 

The  political  and  the  economic  condition  of  the  Jews  in  Cairo  is 
very  satisfactory.They  are  not  under  any  restrictions.  Among  them 
are  the  wealthiest  people  of  Cairo;  bankers,  manufacturers  and 
merchants.  Their  stores  are  the  finest  in  the  old  Bazaar  and  they  are 
considered  the  most  reliable  by  the  general  population  as  well  as  by 
tourists.  They  have  a  great  faculty  of  mastering  languages  and  are 
considered  the  finest  linguists  in  the  world.  Besides  Arabic  and  Hebrew, 
they  speak  Ladino  (Spanish  Jargon),  Italian,  French  and  English.  I 
have  met  a  Cairene  boy  of  about  twelve  years  traveling  from  Smyrna 
to  Alexandria  who  spoke  six  languages.  Amongst  society  folks,  the 
Italian  language  is  very  much  used.  Most  of  the  Jews,  of  Cairo  dress  in 
the  native  fashion.  It  is  indeed  hard  for  a  stranger  to  distinguish 
them  from  the  native  Arabs. 

The  Sephardic  Community  is  governed  by  a  Board  of  Elders,  who 
are  elected  biennially  by  secret  ballot.  Only  those  who  contribute 
to  the  congregational  treasury  have  a  right  to  vote.  The  Elders  are 
presided  over  by  a  Nasi,  whose  position  is  of  a  more  permanent  char¬ 
acter.  The  present  Nasi  is  Sir  Moses  Bey  Cattaue.  The  “Communita” 
(as  the  Board  of  Elders  is  called)  has  control  over  the  finances  and 
aflfairs  of  the  several  congregations  and  the  communal  institutions- 
The  revenue  of  the  Community  is  derived  from  the  synagogue-offer- 


4  Eben  Sappir,  p.  26,  1866. 


22 


NEW  JUDEA 


ings,  burial  fees,  and  taxes  on  "‘Kosher  Meat”  as  well  as  from  real  estate 
taxes,  but  all  ecclesiastical  matters  such  as  Kashruth,  marriages, 
divorces  and  judicial  questions  are  in  the  hands  of  the  Chief  Rabbi  and 
his  Beth-din. 

Beth-din  literally  meaning  House  of  Justice  (also  denotes  the 
Judges)  is  the  public  hall  where  all  communal  matters  are  transacted. 
Births,  marriages  and  deaths  are  registered  there.  Marriage  licenses 
and  certificates  are  issued  to  parties  after  matters  are  properly  investi¬ 
gated  and  divorces  are  granted  to  dissatisfied  couples  when  deemed 
proper.  There  are  situated  the  “Beth-din”  (or  the  board  of  Judges) 
usually  composed  of  three  Rabbis  whose  function  is  to  decide  all  quest¬ 
ions  of  law  such  as  dietary,  civil  and  social.  Their  decision  when 
approved  by  the  Chief  Rabbi  is  final.5  The  “Beth-din”  is  clothed  with 
the  same  authority  as  a  Consular  Court. 

Since  the  year  1910  a  court  house  was  opened  called  the  “Tribunal” 
and  the  procedure  in  the  “Beth-din”  is  almost  the  same  as  that  of  the 
government  courts.  Each  side  has  a  right  to  employ  a  legal  advisor 
(councel)  to  represent  him  before  the  “Beth-din.”  The  present  Chief 
Rabbi  is  R.  Raphael  Aaron  ben  Simeon.  He  is  considered  a  great  Tal¬ 
mudic  scholar  and  is  the  author  of  several!  volumes  dealing  with  Jewish 
law  and  custom.6  He  is  a  preacher  of  note  and  is  much  beloved  by 
his  constituents.  He  speaks  many  languages  and  is  very  popular 
among  the  authorities,  who  bestowed  upon  him  many  honors  and  titles. 
He  also  is  clothed  with  a  state  regalia,  which  he  is  obliged  to  wear  at 
public  functions.  His  father  was  Rabbi  Simeon  ben  David,  a  prominent 
Rabbi  of  Jerusalem  and  author  of  a  volume  on  Responsa  (Zuf  Dvash). 

The  “Societe  de  Bienfaisance”  (Hebrew  Charities)  takes  care  of 
all  Jewish  poor  and  as  a  result  very  few  Jewish  beggars  are  seen  in 
Cairo.  This  is  more  remarkable  in  view  of  the  many  mendicants  of  other 
nationalities  one  meets  in  that  city.  A  modern  Jewish  Hospital  was 
recently  erected  at  “Ezekieh”  in  the  finest  section  of  the  city. 

The  principal  school  is  that  of  the  Alliance  Israelite  Universelle 
founded  by  Cremieux  and  Munk  in  T840  after  they  returned  from 
their  mission  in  Damascus.  Cremieux  is  still  regarded  there  as  one 
of  the  greatest  Jewish  benefactors.7 

6  The  Chief  Rabbi,  however,  has  a  right  to  veto  the  decision  of  the  “Beth-din”  and  his 
veto  is  recognized  by  the  Government. 

4  Nahr  Mizraim,  Nahal  Mizraim. 

7  Egypt  was  the  first  field  of  operation  for  the  Alliance  Israelite  Universelle. 


JEWS  IN  CAIRO 


23 


Another  good  school  is  the  one  organized  by  Madame  Otterburg,  of 
Paris. 

“Ecole  Payante”  or  Ecole  Cattaui,  a  boys’  school,  deserves  praise. 
It  was  founded  by  M.  Cattaui  for  children  of  the  wealthier  Jews.. 
It  is  a  higher  school.  Among  the  subjects  taught  are  Algebra,  Classics, 
Geography  and  History,  and  Hebrew,  Arabic,  Italian  and  English. 
The  Bible  with  the  commentary  of  Rashi  is  taught  in  the 
higher  classes  only.  The  general  age  limit  in  that  school  is  fourteen, 
when  as  a  rule  they  leave  to  enter  business.7 

The  largest  school  in  Cairo  is  that  of  the  “Communita”  and  is 
attended  by  poor  children  only.  It  is  divided  into  six  grades.  The 
method  of  instruction  is  Ibrith-b’ibrith  (Hebrew  in  Hebrew).  The  girls’" 
school  is  divided  into  seven  grades.  The  subjects  taught  are  about  the 
same  as  those  taught  in  other  elementary  schools.  The  course  includes 
French,  Arabic,  music,  sewing  and  reading.  The  boys’  school  has  about 
400  pupils  and  the  girls’  school  has  about  five  hundred.  There  is  also 
a  communal  kindergarten,  attended  by  350  children  under  the  age 
of  five.  Many  children  of  the  upper  and  middle  classes  prefer  the 
Christian  private  schools  (mostly  French  Catholic),  because  their  own 
schools  are  not  modern  enough  for  them. 

Cairo  has  many  synagogues,  communal  and  private.  Some  are  of 
historic  significance-  The  Shaar  Hashamayim  Synagogue,  built  in  1903, 
is  considered  the  most  beautiful  house  of  worship  in  the  East.  It  is 
located  in  the  fashionable  neighborhood  of  New  Cairo — “Ismailia.” 

The  Karaite  community  is  next  to  the  Sephardic  in  point  of  age. 
Little  is  known  about  the  foundation  of  the  Karaite  Congregation  in 
Cairo.  It  probably  dates  from  the  days  of  Saadia,  when  the  office  of 
Nasi  or  Resh  Galutha  was  yet  in  existence  and  the  Nasi  was  the 
head  of  the  Karaite  community.  The  present  Karaite  com¬ 
munity  of  Cairo  is  not  large.  They  possess  an  old  synagogue  which 
according  to  tradition  was  built  in  827.  Their  Chief  Rabbi  is  Haham 
Sabbatie  Manjubi,  who  is  reputed  to  be  a  scholarly  man.  In  the  archives 
of  the  synagogue  were  found  some  very  interesting  Hebrew  manuscripts. 

Little  can  be  said  about  the  Ashkenazic  Community  of  Cairo.  It  is 
new  and  small  in  point  of  numbers.  Formerly  they  formed  a  part  of 
Sephardic  Congregation  on  all  matters  except  the  ritual.  But  owing  to 
the  intrigues  of  a  pseudo  Rabbi  who  arrived  from  Roumania  with 

T  The  School  of  the  “Alliance”  and  the  Ecole  Cattaui  have  recently  passed  under  the 
management  of  the  “Communita.” 


;24 


NEW  JUDEA 


the  ambition  of  becoming  Chief  Rabbi  of  the  Ashkenazim,  discord  broke 
•out.  They  are  now  independent  also  in  most  of  the  communal  affairs. 

The  only  city  in  Egypt  that  can  boast  of  having  an  original  Ashken¬ 
azic  Community  is  Port  Said ;  and  on  one  fine  evening  we  boarded  a 
train  in  Cairo  for  that  municipality.  In  five  hours,  we  reached  the  New 
City,  that  owes  its  existance  to  De  Lessep,  the  French  Engineer,  who 
•connected  the  Red  Sea  with  the  Mediterranean.  It  is  a  very  bustling 
town,  numerous  steamers  stop  here  to  and  from  the,  far  East.  It  differs 
from  other  cities  of  Egypt  in  having  a  thoroughly  European  aspect.  The 
majority  of  its  residents  are  European.  Almost  all  European  languages 
are  spoken  in  Port  Said.  One  cannot  conduct  a  business  unless  he 
is  versed  in  Arabic,  English,  French  and  German. 

Money  of  every  nationality  is  passed  here  and  it  is  indeed  very 
confusing*  to  the  traveler.  One  has  to  know  the  daily  market  price 
of  all  European  currencies.  Money-changing  is  a  trade  in  the  East,  but 
liere  it  has  become  an  important  institution,  consequently  you  meet  with 
money-changers  at  the  corner  of  every  important  street. 

The  next  morning  we  were  out  sight-seeing  and  at  two-o’clock 
Cook’s  agent  was  on  hand  to  take  us  on  board  the  vessel,  operated  by 
tthe  Khedivian  Steamship  Company,  for  Palestine. 


CHAPTER  V. 


ANCIENT  JAFFA 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  of  the  twenty-seventh  day  of  June  that  we 
embarked  in  Port  Said  on  the  English  vessel  “Khedivian”  for  Jaffa.  We 
found  the  steamer  crowded  to  its  fullest  capacity ;  a  throng  of  passengers 
of  different  nationalities  pressed  together.  Every  variety  of  Oriental  cos¬ 
tumes  was  visible.  Veiled  women  who  sat  apart  with  children  on  their  laps, 
turbaned  Arabs  with  white  and  brown  striped  “Abbas”  or  mantles,  sitting 
cross-legged,  an  Arab  in  his  “Keyfiyeh”  or  head  shawl, — which  consists 
of  a  band  of  camel’s  hair  rope,  very  soft,  round  the  head  to  keep  the  flow¬ 
ing  gear  in  its  place, — engaged  the  attention  of  foreign  spectators.  Pa¬ 
triarchal  looking  Syrians  and  Egyptians  with  red  fezzes  and  flowing  robes 
moving  from  one  end  of  the  vessel  to  the  other ;  Jewish  merchants  re¬ 
turning  with  wares  from  Alexandria  and  Cairo,  discussing  their  bargains ; 
Christian  pilgrims  of  many  lands  talking  of  Palestine  as  the  home  of  the 
founder  of  their  faith,  and  Zionists,  among  them  a  number  of  enthusiastic 
Jewish  students  of  Warsaw,  who  were  going  to  travel  on  foot  from  Dan 
to  Beer  Sheba  as  a  holiday  sport  for  their  summer  vacation. 

The  night  was  pleasant  and  the  sea  smooth.  The  easterly  wind  refresh¬ 
ing  and  salubrious,  had  greatly  relieved  the  exhausting  effect  of  the  sun  of 
Egypt.  From  the  middle  deck  the  Jewish  National  Anthem  “Hatikvah,” 
sung  by  the  Russian  students,  filled  the  air,  while  on  the  upper  deck  the 
recital  of  selections  from  famous  operas  by  a  young  Greek  woman  held 
the  attention  of  the  passengers. 

Some  of  my  friends  insisted  that  the  gratifying  surroundings  wei*s  due 
to  the  vicinity  of  Ercz  Israel.  Be  that  as  it  may,  few  of  the  passengers 
retired  that  night,  as  the  scene  was  too  inspiring  to  lose  in  sleep. 

At  half  past  five,  the  purple  hills  of  Judea  began  to  show  themselves. 
At  first  it  was  hard  to  distinguish  them  from  the  fleecy  clouds  above  them,, 
but  soon  it  became  plain  that  we  were  in  sight  of  our  historic  land.  It  is 
extremely  difficult  to  describe  the  state  of  mind  at  that  time.  The  sensa¬ 
tions  were  so  numerous  and  so  varied  that  it  is  very  hard  to  record  them. 
The  imaginations  of  my  associates  went  wild  with  expectations  when  the 
eyes  received  the  first  reflections  of  our  historic  country.  Soon  we  shall 


25 


26 


NEW  JUDEA 


stand  upon  the  land  of  the  Patriarchs,  Prophets  and  Kings,  walk  amid  the 
ruins  of  fortresses,  temples  and  homes  of  our  glorious  ancestors,  wander 
through  the  ancient  wonder-fields  and  cities  of  the  Bible,  gaze  at  the  time- 
honored  streams,  and  travel  through  the  plains,  mountains  and  valleys  that 
were  conquered  and  defended  by  the  heroes  of  our  history  and  are  the 
sole  surviving  witness  of  Israel’s  national  life  in  times  gone  by. 

Soon  the  entire  coast  line  was  distinctly  seen.  The  now  white  moun¬ 
tains  of  Judea  were  in  full  view,  and  the  City  of  Jaffa, — which  is  a  clust¬ 
er  of  flat-roofed  houses, — loomed  up  on  the  slope  of  one  of  the  Judean 
mountains,  appearing  like  an  amphitheatre. 

About  eight  in  the  morning,  the  “Khedivian”  cast  anchor  a  mile  or 
so  from  shore,  for  Jaffa  lies  upon  the  open  sea  and  has  no  harbor.  In  un¬ 
favorable  weather  steamboats  are  often  obliged  to  pass  the  port,  being 
unable  to  land  either  freight  or  passengers.  They  are  compelled  to  go 
to  Haifa  or  Beirout  for  safer  landing.  In  view  of  the  uncertainty  of  land¬ 
ing,  the  Mediterranean  steam-boats  make  a  point  of  arriving  at  Jaffa  in  the 
early  morning,  in  that  calm  period  when  the  winds  and  waves  alike  await 
the  movement  of  the  sun,  to  avoid  the  possibility  of  a  strong  westerly  wind 
that  might  drive  the  boats  on  the  rocks. 

These  rocks  have  been  the  fear  of  navigators  from  early  days.  The 
beach  has  always  been  covered  with  wrecks  after  great  storms,  before 
steam  enabled  vessels  to  go  away  from  shore  and  escape.  Almost  every 
tourist  traveling  by  way  of  Jaffa  in  former  days  had  a  story  of  shipwreck 
to  tell. 

Josephus  speaks  of  a  great  loss  of  life  in  the  reign  of  Vespasian  in 
front  of  Jaffa.1  Sarwulf,  a  traveler  of  the  middle  ages  (1102), 2  speaks  of 
an  awful  catastrophe  in  front  of  Jaffa  where  over  one  thousand  bodies  were 
jfound  scattered  all  over  the  beach,  and  fragments  of  twenty-three  ships, 
including  his  own,  were  seen  floating  on  every  side.  Among  other  things 
he  remarks,  “For  the  violence  of  the  wind  would  not  allow  them  to  put 
out  at  sea,  and  the  character  of  the  coast  would  not  allow  them  to  put  into 
shore  with  safety.”  Fifty  years  ago  the  remains  of  a  galley  of  great  an¬ 
tiquity  was  dug  up  in  an  excavation  at  the  shore.3 

These  age-worn  rocks  upon  which  the  surf  breaks  and  sends  white 
jets  into  the  air  are  also  of  mythological  significance.  On  one  of  those  rocks, 

1  Josephus,  Wars,  III,  9,  3. 

3  Early  Travels  in  Palestine,  p.  35.,  Bohn  Series. 

3  Geikie,  Holy  Land  and  The  Bible,  Vol.  1,  p.  0. 


ANCIENT  JAFFA 


27 


Andromeda,  the  daughter  of  Cepheus  and  Cassiopea,  King  and  Queen  of 
the  Ethiopians,  is  said  to  have  been  chained.4 

Throughout  the  Roman  period,  down  to  the  middle  ages,  the  chain 
was  shown  with  which  Andromeda  was  bound  to  the  rocks.  Curiously 
enough,  Solinus  claimed  to  have  seen  the  imprint  of  the  chain  on  one  of 
rocks,  and  Pliny  is  authority  that  Marcus  Scaurus  brought  the  skeleton  of 
a  huge  sea  monster  to  Rome  that  measured  fifty  feet  in  length,  and  was 
broader  than  an  Indian  elephant.5 

I  cannot  vouch  for  the  veracity  of  Pliny’s  story,  nor  is  there  any  evi¬ 
dence  that  the  skeleton  was  that  of  the  sea  monster  of  Andromeda  or  that 
of  Tonah,6  but  it  might  have  been  the  skeleton  of  some  other  sea  monster, 
as  sharks  and  other  large  fish  are  very  frequently  seen  at  the  port  of  Jaffa. 
Indeed,  poor  Jonah  must  have  been  ignorant  of  the  fact  that  Jaffa  is  the 
most  dangerous  place  for  embarkation  when  he  secured  passage  for  Tar¬ 
sus  by  way  of  Jaffa.  The  Jaffa  Tarsus  Steamship  Company  knew  enough 
of  business  enterprise  not  to  have  a  notice  posted  in  the  ticket  office  “Be¬ 
ware  of  sharks  and  gales !” 

The  passengers  on  the  “Khedivian,”  however,  while  more  fortunate 
than  Jonah,  for  they  did  not  need  the  help  of  the  sea  monsters  to  land  them, 
still  were  in  the  clutches  of  Arab  boatmen,  which  is  nearly  as  bad,  and  un¬ 
like  Jonah,  they  had  to  pay  for  their  transportation  to  town.68 

The  landing  at  Jaffa  is  a  great  experience.  Scores  of  clumsy-looking 
row-boats  are  tossing  about  in  the  angry  waves  diving  up  and  down,  guid¬ 
ed  somewhat  by  the1  long  oars  of  the  Arab  sailors.  A  swarm  of  them  sur¬ 
round  the  vessel.  They  rise  and  fall,  dashing  one  into  the  other  in  the  mad 
effort  of  each  rower  to  get  nearer  the  rope  gangway  first. 

One  minute  the  boat  nearest  the  rope  ladder  raised  by  the  billows  al¬ 
most  mounts  into  the  ships,  and  the  next,  it  sinks  below  the  steps  into  a 
frightful  gulf. 

The  passengers  are  rocked  to  the  shore  by  these  boatmen.  Now  the 
boat  is  up  as  high  as  a  mountain,  and  the  next  moment  it  is  in  a  deep  ravine. 
No  better  description  'can  be  given  of  this  landing  than  the  Psalmist’s  “For1 
He  commandeth  and  raised  the  stormy  winds  which  lifted  up  the  waves 

4  Cassiopea,  as  the  legend  goes,  having  boasted  herself  equal  in  beauty  to  the  Nereids, 
drew  upon  her  the  vengeance  of  Neptune,  the  sea  God.  Her  daughter,  Andromeda,  by  advice 
of  an  oracle,  was  fastened  on  one  of  these  rocks  and  exposed  to  a  marine  monster.  Perseus, 
having  found  her  chained  to  the  rock,  slew  the  monster,  set  her  free  and  married  her. 

8  Natural  History,  xv:5. 

6  Josephus,  who  takes  liberty  with  the  Scriptures,  says  that  the  w'hale  transported  the 
fugitive  to  the  Eucine  sea. 

6b  At  the  moment  the  anchor  went  down,  we  were  bargaining  with  the  rascals  to  taike 
us  ashore,  a  bargain  in  which  the  foamy  and  uneasy  sea  gave  the  boatmen  all  the  advantage. 


28 


NEW  JUDEA 


thereof.  They  mounted  up  the  heaven,  they  go  down  the  depths,  they  reel 
to  and  fro  and  again  stagger  like  a  drunken  man  and  are  at  their  wits  end.”7 
Once  through  the  narrow  opening  between  the  rocks,  we  are  in  calmer 
waters  and  we  approach  the  only  landing  stairs  that  reach  the  dock  or  quay. 
Occasionally,  when  the  water  is  shallow  and  the  boats  cannot  come  close 
to  the  dock,  the  passengers  are  taken  in  the  bare  arms  of  an  Arab,  and  the 
Arab,  wading  into  the  water,  carries  the  passenger  to  the  landing  place, 
where  he  finds  himself  at  once  in  a  new  world  amidst  new  people,  new 
streets  and  new  houses. 

The  tumult  and  confusion,  the  variety  of  people  and  customs  that 
meet  the  eye  on  arriving  in  Jaffa  are  enough  to  excite  even  those  that  have 
recently  arrived  from  Alexandria  and  Cairo. 

The  passage  to  the  hotel  is  made  in  a  coupe.  The  roads  along  the 
way  are  anything  but  modern  and  recall  the  legend  told  about  King  Bald¬ 
win  of  Jerusalem. 

When  Sigurd  (1107),  the  Crusader  King  of  Norway,  reached  the 
Palestinian  coast,  the  story  is  told  that  King  Baldwin  of  Jerusalem  was 
in  doubt  whether  there  was  such  a  region  as  Norway  and  whether  the  visi¬ 
tor  was  really  a  King.  But  if  he  was  a  King  he  wanted  to  conceal  the  un¬ 
inviting  roads  and  the  poor  landing.  He,  therefore,  ordered  costly  drap¬ 
eries  to  be  spread  along  the  road  from  the  shore  to  the  mountain,  saying, 
if  Sigurd  rode  over  them  he  was  doubtless  used  to  such  luxury  at  home ; 
but  if  he  avoided  them  he  must  be  watched  as  a  suspicious  character.  When 
the  ship  landed,  King  Sigurd  mounted  his  horse  and  rode  carelessly  over 
the  precious  carpets.  King  Baldwin,  recognizing  in  his  guest  one  accus¬ 
tomed  to  royal  luxury,  received  him  with  honors  becoming  such  a  visitor.8 

Our  road,  however,  was  not  carpeted  and  we  passed  in  mud  above 
our  heels  through  narrow  streets  shaded  by  awnings,  taiats  and  rags  ;  rows 
of  stone  huts,  a  miserable  apology  for  houses,  and  crowds  of  people  wrap¬ 
ped  in  garments  that  had  seen  better  days.  Indeed,  the  first  view  of  Jaffa 
is  anything  but  beautiful,  and  one  is  inclined  to  believe  with  Pliny  that 
Jaffa  is  named  after  the  third  son  of  Noah,  Japhet,  its  builder,  rather  than 
from  the  Hebrew  root  “Yafe”  the  beautiful. 

Jaffa  is  one  of  the  oldest  cities  in  the  world.  It  is  called  by  Joshuar 
Yapho;  by  Luke,  Joppa;  by  the  Arabs,  Yaffa ;  and  by  the  Franks,  Jaffa. 

In  the  Assyrian  inscription,  Jaffa  is  known  as  “ Jaapu ”  and  is  describ¬ 
ed  as  a  sea  port  of  importance  in  tablet p  recently  found  (1500  B.  C.  E .)It 

1  Psalm  107 :76. 

8  “Early  Travels  in  Palestine,’’  p.  59,  Bolin’s  Series. 


RABBI  ISAAC  RUELF 
(1834—1902) 

(See  Page  49) 


RABBI  SAMUEL  MOHILIVER 
(1824—1898) 

(See  Page  XLV> 


JERUSALEM,  FROM  A  DISTANCE 


(See  Page  113) 


THE  BURIAL  GROUND  OF  CHARLES  NETTER,  MIKVEH  ISRAEL 

(See  Page  44) 


A  COMMON  ROADSIDE  SCENE  IN  PALESTINE 
The  shepherd  leads,  not  drives,  his  sheep,  knows  each  one  by  name,  and  brings 
them  to  “green  pastures  and  still  waters.'’  (Ps.  XXIII.) 


(See  Page  89) 


ANCIENT  JAFFA 


29 


is  mentioned  as  a  fortress  in  the  list  of  cities  overthrown  by  Thutmosis  III 
In  the  inscriptions  relating  to  the  victorious  campaign  of 
Sennacherib,  the  town  is  called  “Jaa-pu.”  The  tomb  inscription  of  Esh- 
munaser  dating  from  the  beginning  of  the  Third  century  B.  C.  E.  mentions 
Jaffa  as  given  to  Sidon  with  Dor  by  one  of  the  Ptolemies. 

In  the  division  of  Canaan  among  the  twelve  tribes  under  Joshua, 
Jaffa  was  apportioned  to  Dan9,  but  it  could  not  be  wrested  from  the  Phoe¬ 
nicians,  and  full  possession  was  not  obtained  until  the  Hasmonean  period 
(II  Mac. 12).  It  was  then  considered  a  maritime  town. 

In  ancient  times  it  was  Palestine’s  only  port  and  only  point  of  com¬ 
munication  with  the  outside  world.10  It  was  through  this  port  in  the  days 
of  Solomon  that  Hiram,  King  of  Tyre,  sent  timber  from  the  Lebanon  for 
the  building  of  the  Temple  in  Jerusalem,  and  again  in  the  days  of  Ezra* 11 
cedars  cut  down  from  the  Lebanon  came  on  rafts  to  Jaffa  and  were  thence 
conveyed  across  the  country  to  Jerusalem  for  the  building  of  the  second 
Temple.  Solomon  appears  to  have  had  his  royal  wine  presses  in  Jaffa.12 

The  Prophet  Jonah  embarked  here  for  Tarsus  (apparently  Cadiz, 
Spain)  and  at  that  time  it  appears  to  have  been  a  sea-port  of  importance. 
It  first  became  Jewish  under  the  Hasmoneans  (147  B.  C.  E.),  when  an  act 
of  treachery14  on  the  part  of  the  Phoenicians  stirred  up  the  anger  of  Judas 
Maccabeus,  who  burned  the  city  and  annihilated  all  the  inhabitants.1 4* 
Finally  it  fell  into  the  hands  of  Jonathan  and  Simon  the  Hasmonians  (147 
B.  C.  E.).  It  was  later  fortified  by  Simon.148 

Pompey  annexed  Jaffa  to  the  Roman  Province  of  Syria.  After  the 
downfall  of  Anthony  and  Cleopatra,  Augustus  returned  Jaffa  to  Herod 
and  once  more  it  became  a  Jewish  town,  (30  B.  C.  E.).  It  was  due  to 
Herod  that  Jaffa  lost  its  prestige  as  a  sea-port  of  importance.  He,  rec¬ 
ognizing  the  dangerous  condition  of  that  port,  built  the  city  of  Caesarea  and 
constructed  a  harbor  there.  During  the  reign  of  his  son  Archelaus  the 
Judeans  became  disorganized  and  in  6  B.  C.  E.  he  was  deposed  and  banished. 
The  town  again  fell  into  the  hands  of  a  Roman  general.  The  city  then 
suffered  terribly. 

During  the  Jewish  insurrection  against  the  Romans,  the  town  was  cap¬ 
tured  and  burnt  by  Cestius.  Eight  thousand  inhabitants  were  massacred 

9  Josh.  19:46. 

14  Yoma  38b. 

11 II  Chron.  li:15;  Ezra  ill  :7. 

12  Zech.  14-10;  Pesikta-Roni  Akara. 

14  They  entreated  the  Jews  to  go  with  their  wives  and  children  into  their  boats,  assuring 
them  that  no  harm  was  meant,  but  when  they  were  on  the  deep  drowned  no  less  than  2000 
of  them.  (II  Mac.  12;  3,  4,  5.) 

"a  lb  xii :  7. 

14b  I  Mac.  x,  84.  xii:34. 


30 


NEW  JUDEA 


by  the  Roman  soldiers,  and  the  city  walls  were  destroyed.  It  was,  however, 
rebuilt  by  the  Jews  sometime  later.15 

1  Strabo  and  Josephus  state  that  Jaffa  at  one  time  was  a  nest  of  pirates 
who  plundered  the  coast  of  Phoenicia  and  Syria,  and  for  that  reason  it 
was  destroyed  by  a  night  attack  and  razed  to  the  ground  by  Vespasian 
in  a  war  with  the  Jews.  He  erected  a  citadel  where  he  placed  a  Roman 
garrison. 

The  history  of  Jaffa  was  stirring  enough  in  past  ages.  It  was  a  bone 
of  contention  among  many  nations.  The  walls  around  the  city  built  by  Si¬ 
mon  and  Jonathan  were  battered  again  and  again.  It  is  associated  in  his" 
tory  and  tradition  with  many  pf  the  greatest  men  the  world  has  known.  It 
was  an  important  city  of  the  Canaanites,  which  preceded  the  Hebrew  Em¬ 
pire  of  David  and  Solomon.  It  was  a  chief  sea-port  in  the  days  of  Solomon, 
Alexander  the  Great,  Judas  Maccabeus  and  Herod.  It  wast  the  landing  place 
of  the  Romans,  the  Saracens  and  the  Crusaders.  It  was  the  place  where 
Saladin  was  encamped  when  he  expelled  the  Christians  from  Jerusalem. 
It  was  a  strategic  point  in  the  military  operations  of  the  Mamelukes  and 
the  Turks,  and  it  was  the  scene  of  the  most  disgraceful  act  in  the  career 
of  Napolean  the  Great. 

In  March,  1799,  toward  the  close  of  his  humiliating  and  disastrous 
campaign  in  Egypt,  his  general  (Kleber)  carried  Jaffa  by  storm  and  des¬ 
troyed  the  city.16 

During  its  progress  he  ordered  the  killing  of  4000  Albanian  soldiers, 
the  reason  for  this  butchery  being  to  save  himself  the  trouble  and  expense 
of  transporting  them  as  prisoners  of  war,  though  their  surrender  to  the 
Frenchmen  was  on  the  condition  that  their  lives  be  spared.  The  place 
of  this  terrible  butchery  is  said  to  have  been  near  the  Armenian  Church 
which  Napoleon  used  as  a  prison  of  war. 

The  tourist  is  also  reminded  of  another  cruel  deed  by  the  same  mili¬ 
tary  commander.  When  he  was  forced  to  retreat  across  the  desert  to 
Egypt,  and  found  several  hundred  of  his  men  in  hospitals  whom  he  could 
not  remove,  be  ordered  the  administration  of  poison  and  left  them  behind. 

15  Christian  tradition  locates  the  house  of  Simon,  the  tanner,  in  Jaffa,  at  an  insignificant 
mosque  near  the  light  house  (Acts  ix:43). 

19  It  was  rebuilt  by  a  prominent  Arab,  Abu  Nabut.  Many  buildings  still  bear  his  name. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


NEW  JAFFA 

But  now  Jaffa  has  become  one  of  the  famous  cities  of  the  East.  It 
is  beautifully  situated  on  a  series  of  hills  of  equal  height  about  one  hundred 
feet  above  shore,  and,  while  from  the  sea  these  hills  appear  barren  and 
sandy,  at  a  close  range  they  are  seen  to  be  sprinkled  with  green  patches. 
These  are  the  famous  “Bayares”  or  orangeries  for  which  Jaffa  is  known 
all  over  the  East.  The  oranges  grow  to  the  size  of  an  ostrich  egg  and  have 
thick  skins.  In  season  the  pulp  is  sweet,  juicy,  tender,  and  contains  few 
seeds.  Not  even  California  or  Florida,  having  the  advantage  of  the  most 
skilled  horticulturists,  can  dispute  with  Jaffa  the  primacy  in  the  orange 
growing  world.  Everything  about  the  city  smells  of  oranges.  Visiting 
these  orange  groves,  one  finds  himself  in  a  sea  of  golden  globes  which 
form  the  most  beautiful  contrast  with  the  green  leaves  that  surround  them. 
This  spectacle  is  especially  memorable  when  seen  in  a  full-moon  night. 
The  reflection  of  the  silvery  moon  on  these  golden  globes  forms  the  most 
charming  picture. 

Other  fruits  in  Jaffa  gardens  are  citrons,  olives,  grapes,  almonds, 
peaches,  apricots  and  pomegranates.  The  most  common  flowers  in  Jaffa 
gardens  are  roses  and  jessamines.  Acacias,  rubber-plants  and  oleanders 
are  among  the  wild  plants  that  grow  all  over. 

The  gardens  in  Jaffa,  as  everywhere  in  Palestine,  are  enclosed  with 
a  great  thick  hedge  of  cactus  plants  (cactus  opunda)  having  broad  and 
prickly  bristling  leaves  with  sharp  points  that  form  a  safe  and  almost  in- 
penetrable  wall  around  the  garden.  Cactus  plants  are  the  most  common 
in  Judea  and  are  characteristic  of  Palestine.  One  leaf  stuck  in  the  sandy 
soil  around  the  garden  will  cast  root  and  spread  rapidly  to  form  a  safe 
enclosure. 

Jaffa  can  be  styled  a  garden  city,  for  thousands  of  gardens  adorn 
the  municipality.  The  soil  is  very  fertile,  for  beneath  the  sand  blown 
from  the  sea  the  soil  is  rich  and  the  harvest  immense.  The  abundance 
of  water  is  the  cause  of  its  fertility.  One  has  only  to  dig  a  few  feet  to 
find  a  spring.  It  appears  that  a  great  underground  stream  runs  contin¬ 
ually  from  the  hills  towards  the  sea.  Every  orchard  has  thus  ample  means 

31 


32 


NEW  JUDEA 


of  irrigation.  The  bringing  up  of  the  water  to  the  surface  is  accomplish¬ 
ed  by  the  natives  by  means  of  a  clumsy  looking  water  wheel ;  an  ox,  an  ass 
or  a  mule  is  fastened  to  a  long  pole  and,  while  driven  slowly  round,  turns 
a  beam  which  carries  on  its  top  a  large  wheel  that  draws  up  and  lets  down 
a  series  of  wooden  buckets.  This  ingenious  though  primitive  wheel  is  called 
“Shakiva.” 

The  gardens  of  Jaffa  stretch  inland  from  the  sea  about  three  miles 
and  extend  about  three  miles  north  and  south. 

After  obtaining  a  good  view  of  the  town,  we  started  for  the  suburbs 
in  a  carriage  pulled  by  two  horses.  We  drove  upon  the  Ramleh  way  along 
the  gardens,  passing  on  one  side  of  the  lane  which  was  shadowed  by  a 
wall  of  cactus,  and  we  soon  faced  the  most  beautiful  view  imaginable. 
Before  us,  on  the  right,  the  blooming  vale  of  Sharon  spread,  and  on  the 
left,  the  blue  hills  of  Judea  were  in  view.  “It  makes  little  difference,” 
said  Charles  Dudley  Warner,  “what  kind  of  conveyance  one  has,  it  is 
impossible  for  him  to  advance  upon  this  historic  if  not  sacred  plain  and 
catch  the  first  glimpse  of  these  plain  hills  without  a  great  quickening  of 
the  pulse.  The  elements  of  it  are  simple  enough,  merely  a  wide  sweep  of 
prairies  and  a  line  of  graceful  mountains,  but  the  form  is  pleasing  and  the 
color  incomparable,  the  soil  is  warm  and  red,  the  fields  are  a  mass  of  wild 
flowers  of  the  most  brilliant  and  variegated  hues  and  alternately  swept 
by  the  shadows  of  clouds  and  bathed  in  the  sun.  The  scene  takes  on  the 
animation  of  incessant  change.”1 

The  plain  of  Sharon  is  as  beautiful  today  as  it  is  said  to  have  been 
in  the  days  of  David.  Scattered  throughout  the  plain  are  areas  of  cul¬ 
tivated  land,  the  rest  is  pasture  land.  These  fields  are  carpeted  with  a 
large  number  of  bright-colored  flowers,  of  the  most  brilliant  hues,  such 
a  display  is  seldom  seen  elsewhere — beautiful  white  “Havazeleth,”  blush¬ 
ing  anemones  called  “Kalonioth”  (little  brides)  modest  cyclamens, — look¬ 
ing  to  the  ground  and  their  open  white  petals  give  them  the  appearance  of 
little  nuns,  small  lilies,  white  daisies,  violets,  red  mellows,  the  lobelia  and  the 
white  cjstus.  Such  a  harmony  of  color  and  an  aroma  of  sweet  fragrance 
recalls  the  lyrics  of  Solomon,  “I  am  the  rose  of  Sharon  and  the  lily  of  the 
valley.”2 

The  pastureland  of  the  Sharon  was  famous  in  the  days  of  David.  It 
appears  to  have  been  crownland  and  used  for  pasture  of  cattle  of  the 
royal  family.3  In  the  songs  of  Solomon,  Shulamith  is  compared  to  a  rose 


1  In  The  Levant,  Boston,  1891,  p.  12. 

3  Song  of  Songs  ii  :1. 

*  Chron.  xxvll:29;  Isa.  lxv:10. 


NEW  JAFFA 


33 


of  Sharon.  The  beauty  of  the  Sharon  adorned  with  flowers  was  proverbial, 
like  the  majesty  of  Lebanon,  and  the  beauty  of  the  Carmel.4 

Returning  we  drove  across  a  short  road  to  the  Montefiore  Garden 
situated  opposite  the  German  Colony,  Sharona.  The  garden  appeared  to 
have  been  somewhat  neglected,  yet  it  showed  wonderful  fertility.  The 
vegetation  was  luxurious,  fruits  such  as  dates,  oranges,  citrons  and  plums 
made  the  air  sweet  with  their  fragrance.  The  garden  is  enclosed  with 
a  hedge  of  prickly  pear. 

From  the  Montefiore  Garden  we  came  to  the  Second  German  Colony 
founded  by  American  Adventists  in  1856  and  sold  to  members  of  the 
German  Temple  Society  twelve  years  later.  It  is  still  known  to  this  day 
by  some  as  the  American  Colony.  This  colony  is  a  model  of  cleanliness. 
Its  cottages  are  very  pretty  and  well  shaded.  It  has  a  fine  park  near  it 
which  forms  the  most  desirable  residential  part  of  Jaffa.  Most  of  the 
tourists  who  pass  Jaffa  stop  at  the  German  Hotel,  Du  Parque. 

Jaffa,  by  reason  of  its  shady  groves,  the  sea-cool  air  and  good  bathing, 
is  the  summer  resort  of  Jerusalem.  The  hotels  are  crowded  with  visitors 
from  Jerusalem  and  many  other  parts  of  Palestine  who  come  here  to  bathe 
in  the  sea  during  the  warm  summer  months. 

The  population  of  Jaffa  is  growing  fast,  and  the  growth  is  particularly 
marked  among  the  Jewish  element. 

Since  it  was  captured  by  Vespasian  Jaffa  probably  never  had  as  large 
a  Jewish  community  as  it  possesses  at  the  present  time.  Some  Jews  resided 
in  Jaffa  during  the  fourth  and  fifth  centuries,  for  we  find  scattered  in 
Talmudic  and  Rabbinic  literature  many  “Amoraim”  who  are  identified  with 
Jaffa5.  But  there  is  no  record  of  Jews  having  resided  in  Jaffa  during  the 
Byzantine  domination,  nor  is  there  evidence  that  Jews  lived  there  during 
the  conquest  of  the  Arabs  by  Saladin  in  1187.  Benjamin  of  Tudela  (1170) 
found  in  Jaffa  only  one  Jew — a  dyer.  Betrandon  de  la  Brocquire,  a  trav¬ 
eler,  in  1432,  found  Jaffa  entirely  destroyed.  There  were  only  a  few  tents 
for  the  accommodation  of  pilgrims.  Catwyk,  a  tourist  of  the  latter  part 
of  the  sixteenth  century,  found  the  city  a  heap  of  ruins — probably  due  to 
an  earthquake. 

In  the  seventeenth  century  there  were  very  few  Jews  in  Jaffa,  and 
Jewish  travelers  suffered  oppression  and  humiliation  while  passing  through 


4  Isa.  xxxv  :2. 

6  Ozar  Yisrael  V  :177. 


34 


NEW  JUDEA 


the  town.  It  required  an  appeal  of  the  Haham  Bashi  of  Constantinople  to 
Hanna  Domiah  to  protect  the  Hebrew  pilgrims.* * * * * 6 

Forty  years  later,  Isaiah  Agiman,  a  Jewish  banker  of  Constantinople, 
purchased  a  lot  for  the  purpose  of  building  an  Hachnasath  Orchim  (a  way¬ 
farer’s  home)  for  Jewish  pilgrims.  The  house  was  afterwards  conveyed 
to  the  Sephardic  community  of  Jerusalem,  who  settled  there  a  few  Se¬ 
phardim.  Later  there  came  a  number  of  North  African  Jews  who  were 
saved  'from  a  shipwreck  in  front  of  Haifa,  and  engaged  in  the  export  of 
grain.  It  was  not  until  the  year  1841  that  the  little  Jewish  community 
received  a  great  impetus,  when  the  old  rabbinic  statute  prohibiting  Jews 
to  settle  in  Jaffa — for  fear  that  a  settlement  here  would  interfere  with 
pilgrims  visiting  Jerusalem — was  abolished  (1840)  by  the  first  Chief  Rabbi 
of  the  Holy  City — Rabbi  Abraham  Hayim  Gagin7 8. 

The  doing  away  with  the  excummunication  attracted  many  Jews  to 
Jaffa. 

In  the  year  i860  the  population  of  Jaffa  was  5,000,  1,000  Christians, 
200  Jews  and  the  remainder  Moslems.  Since  that  year  the  growth 
of  the  town  has  been  gradual  and  steady.  Twenty-six  years  later  Jaffa 
had;  15,000  residents;  of  these  3,000  were  Jews  (about  equally  divided 
among  the  Sephardim  and  Ashkenazim).  This  increase  may  be  attributed 
to  the  oppressive  measures  of  the  Russian  government  in  the  early  eighties 
and  to  the  Hobebei  Zion  agitations.  M.  Franco78  puts  down  the  po¬ 
pulation  for  1903  at  17.713 — of  these  11,630  Moslems,  3,113  Christians, 
2,970  Jews.  The  last  are  divided  into  1,210  Sephardim  and  1,760  Ashke¬ 
nazim.  Three  years  later,  David  Trietsch  estimated  the  population  of 
Jaffa  to  be  47,000,®  an  increase  of  29,287  in  three  years.  The  Jewish 
community  he  places  at  7,500,  an  increase  of  4,530  in  three  years,  and 
about  one-sixth  of  the  general  population.  Baedeker  in  1906  gives  the 

e  Hanna  Domiah  was  a  Christian  official  in  Jaffa  who  represented  four  European  countries. 

As  soon  as  Jews  landed,  they  were  met  by  a  Christian  inn-keeper  who  took  them  to  his 

lodging  house  where  they  remained  several  days  until  the  Kehillah  of  Jerusalem  was  notified. 

The  latter  sent  immediately  a  Jewish  dragoman  with  camels,  donkeys  or  mules  (predoth)  to 
transport  the  new  arrivals  to  Jerusalem.  For  the  aged  Jews  who  were  not  able  to  mount  a 
donkey,  they  sent  boxes  that  fitted  to  the  donkeys  back  where  they  were  seated.  They  usu¬ 
ally  left  Jaffa  towards  evening  to  avoid  traveling  at  night,  which  journey  was  perilous  in 

those  days.  They  stopped  over  night  at  Ramleh  in  a  Jewish  lodging  house.  The  next  morn¬ 
ing  they  made  their  way  up  to  Jerusalem,  which  they  reached  toward  evening.  The  Kahal  of 
the  Holy  City  had  to  pay  to  Sheikhs  of  many  villages  on  the  road  an  impost  for  every  pas¬ 

senger  for  not  interfering  with  the  poor  travelers  (Luach  Erez  Israel,  1898,  p.  80). 

7  This  story  told  by  Jacob  Goldman  (Luach  Erez  Israel,  1898,  p.  72)  and  quoted  in  the 
Jewish  Encyclopedia  and  Ozar  Israel,  is  disputed  by  Luncz  (Ibid  79),  as  the  fact  is  not  cor¬ 
roborated  in  the  records  of  the  Jewish  Kehillah  of  Jerusalem  (that  are  in  existence  for  over 
two  hundred  years).  This  was  also  denied  by  Rabbi  Elisher,  who  lived  for  many  years  in 
Jaffa  about  that  period  (Ibid,  p.  79). 

7b  Jewish  Encyclopedia,  Vol.  VII,  52. 

8  Handbook  of  Palestine,  p.  14. 


NEW  JAFFA 


35 


population  of  Jaffa  45,000.  The  present  population  is  estimated  to  be 
about  50,000,  one-sixth  are  Jews,  of  whom  three  thousand  are  Sephardim 
and  7,000  are  Ashkenazim. 

The  Ashkenazic  Jews  began  to  settle  in  Jaffa  in  the  year  1839  when  a 
ship  brought  several  hundred  Jews  from  Eastern  Europe,  some  of  whom 
remained  there,  and  among  them  was  R.  Hayim  Smerling,  a  commission 
merchant  representing  many  European  business  houses.  He  established  a 
“magazine”  there  and  engaged  in  both  import  and  export  trade. 

His  business  connections  with  many  countries  of  Europe  and  his  suc¬ 
cess  as  a  merchant  stimulated  an  influx  of  Ashkenazim  in  Jaffa  and  it 
became  the  centre  of  commerce  for  Palestine.  (Note  3.) 

The  Chief  Rabbi  of  Jerusalem  ordained  Rabbi  Judah  Halevy,  the  father 
of  the  present  Dayan,  to  be  Rabbi  of  that  community  in  the  year  1840.  He 
was  probably  the  first  Rabbi  for  many  centuries. 

The  Jewish  quarters  are  the  cleanest  in  Jaffa.  They  are  situated  in  the 
northwestern  part  of  the  city,  comprising  several  blocks  of  stone  houses ; 
are  known  by  the  Hebrew  name,  Nevei  Zedek  (compania).  The  houses 
were  built  in  1887  by  an  organization  of  Jaffa  Jews,  each  member  having 
paid  in  advance  for  his  lot.  The  payments  for  the  houses  were  made  in 
yearly  installments.  About  two  hundred  families  live  there.  The  Jewish 
houses  are  fairly  modern  and  can  easily  be  distinguished  from  the  Arabian 
quarters. 

The  business  centre  of  Jaffa  is  a  long,  broad,  irregular  thoroughfare 
called  “Rue  Boustrous,”  where  most  of  the  merchants  are  located.  There 
are  the  Anglo-Palestine  bank,  the  offices  of  the  Palestine  Amt,  the  Odessa 
Committee,  the  Carmel  Oriental,  and  the  office  of  the  “lea.”  The  Anglo- 
Palestine  bank  is  the  financial  instrument  of  the  Jews  of  Palestine  in  gen¬ 
eral  and  of  Jaffa  in  particular.  Out  of  5,500,000  francs  ($1,100,000.00) 
deposited  in  that  bank  in  1910,  3,045,000  francs  ($609,000.00)  were  from 
Jaffa,  and  out  of  the  total  credit  of  3,034,460  francs  ($606,892.00)  2,183,- 
760  ($436,752.00)  were  from  Jaffa. 

The  new  suburb  Tel  Abib,  is  a  model  town  by  itself.  The  plan  was 
laid  out  by  a  number  of  Jewish  engineers.  The  houses  are  multiform,  mod¬ 
ern  structure  one  and  two  stories  high,  of  the  latest  architectural  design, 
having  in  front  and  at  the  sides  ample  grounds.  The  plan  of  every  house 
is  scrutinized  by  a  committee  on  building  construction.  The  water  supply 
is  ample.  Every  house  receives  water  through  a  modern  conduit  system. 
The  town  is  thoroughly  Jewish,  the  lact  being  most  evident  on  the  Sabbath 


36 


NEW  JUDEA 


day  when  all  traffic  and  business  cease.  The  affairs  of  the  town  are  con¬ 
ducted  by  a  committee  of  men  chosen  at  a  popular  election  of  all  residents 
including  tenants  who  have  resided  at  least  one  year  at  one  place. 

The  streets  are  broad  and  straight,  and  named  after  historic  personages 
and  prominent  Zionists,  such  as  Maccabean,  Yehuda  Halevi,  Herzl,  Pins- 
ker,  Mohilever,  Lillienblum,  Achad  Ha  ’Am  and  Rothschild.  They  are; 
macadamized ;  on  each  side  is  a  wide  sidewalk  along  which  are  planted 
rows  of  trees.  The  chief  thoroughfare  is  called  Rechob  Herzl,  after  the 
deceased  %ionist  leader,  in  the  center  of  which  is  erected  the  Jewish 
high  school  “Gymnasia  Ibrith,”  or  Herzliah.  (Note  4.) 

This  school  is  attracting  students  from  distant  lands. 

“I  traveled  thousands  of  miles  to  bring  my  son  here,”  remarked  one 
father,  who  came  from  Russia,  “so  as  to  enable  him  to  remain  a  Jew,  which 
would  be  impossible  if  he  attended  the  secular  Schools  of  the  Goluth  lands.” 
That  good  father  certainly  made  no  mistake.  The  writer  witnessed  a  little 
girl,  eleven  years  of  age,  reciting  a  portion  of  “Sefer  ha-Agadah”10  in  such 
an  intelligent  manner  that  it  would  do  credit  to  many  a  grown-up.  This 
school  is  a  gymnasium  in  the  literal  sense  as  well,  for  the  curriculum  includes 
also  physical  culture.  The  writer  has  seen  boys  perform  certain  antics  that 
an  American  manager  would  charge  the  public  an  admission  fee  to  see.  I 
shall  not  forget  one  stunt  in  which  twenty-five  boys  at  a  moment’s  notice 
from  the  instructor  formed  themselves  into  a  pyramid. 

Tachkemoni  is  the  name  of  a  boys’  high  school  which  is  mainly  sup¬ 
ported  by  orthodox  Zionists  (Mizrachim).  It  has  also  a  broad  program, 
and  is  under  the  direction  of  Rabbi  Kuk  and  Dr.  Schlesinger ;  the  latter  is 
director.  This  school  pays  more  attention  to  religious  matters.  It  has  a 
student  club,  a  library  and  a  reading  room. 

Beth  Hasefer  l’Banoth  is  the  name  of  a  Girls’  school.  This  school  has 
a  modern  structure,  in  back  of  which  is  a  play-ground.  It  was  opened  in 
1909  and  has  a  daily  attendance  of  400  girls.  The  building  was  donated  by 
a  Russian  philanthropist,  Mr.  I.  Feinberg,  of  Irkutsk,  and  by  the  Odessa 
Committee. 

Jaffa  has  eight  other  schools  including  Talmud  Torahs.  These  schools 
are  attended  by  450  children  and  are  taught  by  twenty  teachers.  Two  of 
these  schools  are  elementary  and  are  maintained  by  the  “Alliance”  and  the 
“Hilfsverein,”  respectively;  the  latter  maintains  also  a  kindergarten.  The 
Hilfsverein  has  performed  a  great  service  in  Palestine,  particularly  in  the 
founding  of  kindergartens. 


10  By  Bialik  and  Rabnitzky,  Cracow,  1908. 


NEW  JAFFA 


37 


Of  the  Talmud  Torahs,  the  Shaarei  Torah  School,  founded  in  1884, 
and  the  school  founded  for  the  Sephardic  Jews  by  Baron  Menasce,  of  Alex¬ 
andria,  are  the  most  important.  Hebrew  is  becoming  rapidly  the  spoken 
language  of  Jaffa  and  Palestine  in  general.  Only  the  adoption  of  Hebrew 
as  the  vernacular  can  ever  dispel  the  “confusion  of  tongues”  from  which 
Palestine  Jewry,  speaking  all  the  dialects  of  the  world,  is  suffering.  The 
Teachers’  Union  is  the  Board  of  Public  Education  whose  purpose  it  is  to 
elaborate  a  uniform  educational  program  for  the  Palestine  Elementary 
Schools  and  to  maintain  the  natural  development  of  the  Hebrew  language 
in  its  application  to  modern  needs  and  conditions. 

The  Hospital  Shaarei  Zion  was  founded  in  1871  by  Jewish  residents 
and  is  maintained  through  the  munificent  gifts  ofj  European  philanthropists. 
Jaffa  has  three  large  synagogues,  two  Ashkenazic  and  one  Sephardic,  and 
many  small  houses  of  worship. 

Among  the  other  institutions  may  be  mentioned  a  library  founded  in 
1891  in  memory  of  “Lewanda,”  which  is  maintained  by  the  Odessa  Commit¬ 
tee12 — containing  several  thousand  volumes, — a  reading  room,  a  meeting 
hall  (Beth  ’Am),  a  conservatory  of  music — founded  by  the  late  Frau  Rup- 
pin  in  1909, — a  B’nai  B’rith  Lodge  and  a  Hebrew  Dramatic  Club,  which 
has  for  its  purpose  the  cultivation  of  dramatic  art  among  its  members. 

Jaffa  has  several  printing  houses,  two  Jewish  periodicals,  “Hapoel 
Hazair”  and  “Hachinuch.”  The  first  is  the  journal  of  the  young  Palestin¬ 
ian  proletariat  and  is  under  the  able  editorship  of  Joseph  Aronowitz,  and 
the  second  deals  with  school  discipline  and  pedagogical  matters.  The  city 
is  enriched  with  two  Jewish  publication  societies,  “Koheleth”  and  “Japheth.” 
One  is  engaged  in  the  publication  of  original  works  in  Hebrew,  the  other  in 
publishing  translations  of  standard  works  of  other  languages. 

Jaffa  is  the  leading  commercial  centre  in  Syria,  about  twenty-five  thou¬ 
sand  pilgrims  visit  the  city  yearly,  and  forty  per  cent,  of  all  imports  and 
exports  come  or  go  by  way  of  Jaffa.  The  chief  exports  are  oranges,  wines, 
olive  oil,  sesame,  almonds,  barley,  beans,  colocynth,  durah  (millet)  fodder, 
raisins,  wool,  leather,  live  stock,  soap  and  religious  souvenirs.  The  chief 
imports  are  wood,  cotton,  clothes,  coffee,  rice,  sugar,  tobacco  and  iron. 
Over  1500  vessels  pass  through  the  port  in  a  year. 

Almost  all  the  governments  have  consular  agents  in  Jaffa.  It  is  the 
chief  town  of  the  Liva  of  Jerusalem  and  the  seat  of  the  Kamaikam — the 


13  See  Luach  Erez  Israel,  1898,  p.  76. 


38 


NEW  JUDEA 


Turkish  official  who  is  in  charge  of  the  entire  district.  In  health  conditions 
Jaffa  compares  favorably  with  European  cities.  The  mortality  rate  of 
Jaffa  is  20  per  1000 ;  this  compares  favorably  with  Russian  cities  which  have 
a  mortality  rate  of  36  per  1000,  Hungary  32  per  1000,  France  22  per  1000, 
and  Germany  20  per  1000. 

The  climate  of  Jaffa  is  similar  to  that  of  southern  Italy  and  Sicily,  with 
an  average  temperature  of  twenty  degrees  Centigrade.  The  sea  breeze  al¬ 
ways  insures  a  certain  degree  of  coolness  and  its  ample  vegetations  make 
the  climate  very  pleasant. 

Jaffa  is  the  centre  of  the  Jewish  colonies  in  Judea,  the  market  for  their 
products,  and  the ‘place  where  they  gather  their  inspiration  on  religious  and 
cultural  matters. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


MIKVEH  ISRAEL 

“One  may  win  his  world  in  one  hour,  another,  after  struggling  many 
years’’ — (Aboda  Zarah  18  A). 

The  “Alliance  Israelite  Universelle”  deserves  the  credit  of  being  the 
first  in  modern  times  to  adopt  practical  measures  for  promoting  colonization 
of  Jews  in  Palestine.  The  establishment  of  the  Agricultural  School  “Mik- 
veh  Israel”  (the  gathering  of  Israel)  by  that  organization,  was  the  first 
practical  effort  in  modern  times  on  behalf  of  the  Jewish  people  to  rehabili¬ 
tate  their  historic  land.  That  Farm  School  is  situated  southeast  of  Jaffa, 
half  an  hour  distant  from  that  town,  on  the  road  leading  to  Jerusalem.  It 
is  the  first  Jewish  settlement  on  the  road  from  Jaffa  to  Jerusalem,  and  when, 
on  the  thirteenth  day  of  June,  we  started  out  to  tour  thei  Colonies,  “Mikveh 
Israel”  was  the  first  place  which  we  visited. 

On  both  sides  of  the  road  leading  to  the  school,  orange  groves,  vine¬ 
yards,  grainfields  and  large  patches  of  wild  flowers  of  most  magnificent  hue 
were  in  sight.  The  school  grounds  are  recognized  from  a  distance  by  long 
rows  of  eucalyptus  trees,  “Sad jar  el  Yahud”  (the  Jewish  trees)  so  styled 
by  the  Arabs,  as  Jews  were  the  first  to  introduce  that  tree  in  Palestine  be¬ 
cause  of  its  rapid  growth. 1 

While  a  number  of  Jewish  youths  working  in  the  field  convinced  us 
that  we  were  on  real  Jewish  soil,  the  one  that  gave  us  the  Hebrew  greeting 
“Shalom”  (peace  be  with  thee),  while  ploughing  along  the  road,  made  us 
feel  that  we  were  in  a  Hebrew  land  as  well. 

We  were  met  at  the  gate  of  the  Agricultural  College  by  its  secretary, 
Herr  Adolph  Mendelowitz,  a  Roumanian  young  man,  who  was  kind  enough 
to  conduct  us  through  the  entire  school,  and  introduced  us  to  the  Director, 
M.  Samuel  Laupu,  to  whom  I  am  indebted  for  valuable  information  con¬ 
cerning  the  school  and  general  conditions  of  the  land.  He  conversed  with 
us  in  Hebrew. 

1  In  a  period  of  ten  years  the  eucalyptus  tree  will  grow  to  20  inches  in  diameter  and  00 
feet  in  height,  while  it  will  take  white  oak  and  hickory  90  to  100  years  to  attain  the 
same  growth,  and  other  hard  woods,  such  as  walnut,  will  take  50  to'  60  years  to  attain 
the  same  size;  this  in  itself  is  a  tremendous  advantage,  and,  together  with  the  fact  that 
it  reproduces  itself  from  the  same  stump,  makes  it  of  special  commercial  value. 

39 


40 


NEW  JUDEA 


In  its  general  aspects,  the  Mikveh  Israel  Settlement  resembles  the  other 
colonies  of  Judea.  It  is  traversed  by  a  wide  thoroughfare  at  each  side  and, 
scattered  within  a  radius  of  about  half  a  mile,  are  twenty  structures  of  var¬ 
ious  kinds.  The  buildings  here,  as  all  over  Palestine,  are  made  of  stone, 
with  as  little  wood  as  possible,  for  timber  is  very  scarce  in  Palestine.  Most 
of  the  wood  used  for  building  purposes  is  brought  by  way  of  the  Mediter¬ 
ranean  from  European  countries  and  the  expense  of  transportation  makes 
the  price  of  lumber  so  high  that  the  average  builder  is  obliged  to  dispense 
with  it  as  far  as  possible.  Stone,  on  the  other  hand,  can  be  gotten  at  little 
cost,  and  stone  cutters  at  a  very  moderate  rate ;  consequently  stone  is  used 
for  floors,  arches,  roofs,  stairs,  verandas,  etc.  In  Mikveh  Israel,  however, 
the  use  of  timber  is  not  so  restricted.  The  roofs  on  the  houses  are  mostly 
of  red  tiles.  The  red  color  gives  a  beautiful  contrast  to  the  white  walls  and 
green  surroundings. 

The  school  building  proper,  where,  also,  are  located  the  chapel  and  the 
library,  is  a  magnificent  and  extensive  edifice,  well  adapted  and  equipped 
for  teaching  purposes.  Other  buildings  include  the  office  of  the  superin¬ 
tendent,  his  residence,  dining  halls,  chemical  and  horticultural  laboratories, 
quarters  for  instructors,  dormitories  for  students,  dwellings  for  employees, 
workshops,  barns,  sheds  and  a  large  wine  cellar,  etc.  The  buildings  are 
thickly  shaded  by  avenues  of  eucalyptus  and  bamboo  trees,  by  well  kept 
gardens,  orchards  and  orange  groves  and  surrounded  by  about  2550  dunam 
(617  acres)  of  arable  land. 

The  turning  of  a  large  tract  of  apparently  wire  claimable,  barren  and 
sandy  soil  into  the  most  fruitful  land  does  credit  to  the  able  management 
of  the  “Alliance,”  and  to  the  industrious  and  energetic  efforts  of  the  stu¬ 
dent  body  as  well  as  the  employees. 

The  population  of  the  school  consists  of  160  souls,  including  the 
director,  six  teachers,  seventy-five  students  and  employees. 

The  school  curriculum  extends  over  a  period  of  five  years.  All  branches 
of  agriculture  and  horticulture  are  taught,  with  special  attention  to  wine 
and  orange  culture.  Dairy  industry,  cattle,  fowl  and  bee  breeding  are  given 
a  prominent  place  on  the  daily  roster.  Students  are  obliged  to  attend  lec¬ 
tures  on  general  subjects  such  as  mathematics,  geography,  history,  physics, 
chemistry,  languages,  botany,  zoology,  geology,  mineralogy,  surveying, 
soil  chemistry,  plant  pathology,  agrarian,  commercial  and  supervising 
farming. 

The  chief  source  of  revenue  of  this  institution  is  the  export  of  wine 
and  brandy.  Oranges,  “ethrogim”  (large  citrons),  almonds  and  various 


MIKVEH  ISRAEL 


41 


vegetables  grow  plentifully  here  and  thus  swell  the  income  of  the  school- 
Other  products  cultivated  with  marked  success  are  wheat  and  barley,  and 
such  fields  are  seen  around  the  Colony.  1784  D.  land  is  being  planted  with 
various  kinds  of  grain,  such  as  wheat,  barley,  oats,  durah,  Sesame  and 
Adas  (millet), 330  D.  with  grapes  and  about  200  with  oranges  and  citrons. 
Other  fruits  include  olives,  almonds,  dates,  apples,  pears,  figs  and  apricots. 
A  certain  Mr.  Goldman  has  been  experimenting  here  on  sugar  beet  with 
marked  success.  The  fact  that  the  proceeds  derived  from  the  sale  of  its 
produce  is  almost  sufficient  to  defray  the  expense  of  the  school  speaks  well 
for  its  general  efficiency,  as  there  are  few  institutions  of  a  similar  character 
that  can  boast  of  being  self-supporting  and  it  also  demonstrates  that  the 
success  of  farming  depends  no  less  upon  management  of  the  farm  than 
upon  the  quality  of  the  soil. 

Graduates  of  this  Agricultural  College  turn 
out  to  be  good  supervisors  and  teachers  of  agriculture  in  new  Colonies. 
With  the  increase  of  new  Jewish  Colonies  in  Palestine,  the  demand  of 
skilled  agriculturists  who  are  familiar  with  local  methods  of  cultivation 
of  soil  and  conversant  with  the  Arabic  language,  becomes  greater.  It  is 
hoped  that  all  the  graduates  will  soon  find  profitable  employment  in  Pales¬ 
tine  and  that  none  will  be  compelled  to  emigrate  to  other  lands,  or  to  engage 
in  other  pursuits  after  graduation,  on  account  of  the  limited  field  offered 
them  hitherto  in  the  land  of  their  ancestors.  One  must  bear  in  mind, 
however,  that  the  present  assimilative  tendencies  of  the  officers  of  the  ‘'Alli¬ 
ance  Israelite  Universelle,”  their  indifference  to  Jewish  national  and  historic 
sentiments,2  and  their  ignoring  local  pride  and  patriotism  in  the  school  pro¬ 
gramme,  are  equally  responsible  for  the  lack  of  attachment  to  Palestine  by 
some  students. 

Why  should  French  culture  be  forced  upon  native  Jewish  youths  who 
have  a  culture  of  their  own,  or  upon  foreign  young  men,  who,  tired  of  Euro¬ 
pean  culture  and  hypocrisy,  come  here  in  search  of  a  Jewish  culture?  Why 
should  the  French  language  be  imposed  upon  men  who  love  their  own 
national  tongue,  Hebrew  ?  As  long  as  there  is  no  effort  on  the  part  of  the 
authorities  of  the  school  to  implant  in  the  students  a  reverence  for  their 
native  or  adopted  land,  a  love  for  their  language,  history  and  literature,  one 

8  The  founders  of  the  “Alliance”  were  moved  by  a  national  spirit,  as  expressed  in  the 
following  declaration,  viz.:  “The  important  religions  of  the  world  are  presented  by  na¬ 
tional  governments  who  are  specially  interested  in  them  and  are  authorized  officially  to 
speak  for  them.  Our  creed  is  the  only  one  that  does  not  possess  such  advantages. 
have  no  state  nor  territory  to  represent  us.”  (Some  Problems  of  Modern  Jewry,  p.  15.) 


42 


NEW  JUDEA 


must  expect  students  to  leave  for  Canada  or  elsewhere  rather  than  make 
sacrifices  for  the  land. 

What  a  contradiction!  The  “Alliance”  organization,  the  first  Jewish 
body  to  respond  to  the  call  of  colonizing  Palestine  for  historical,  religious, 
and  economic  reasons,  long  before  Zionism  had  taken  a  grip  on  a  large  por¬ 
tion  of  Modern  Jewry,  should  now  lose  sight  of  all  its  original  motives ! 
The  pioneer  institution  of  Jewish  Nationalism  should  now  oppose  Jewish 
Nationalism !  The  herald  of  the  Hebrew  renaissance  should  oppose  the 
Hebrew  language ! 

Is  it  possible  ?  I  asked  myself  while  I  was  sitting  in  the  director’s  office 
and  saw  before  me  on  the  walls  the  portraits  of  the  late  Grand  Rabbin  Zadoc 
Kahn,  Albert  Cohn,  Colonel  Goldsmid,  Baron  and  Baroness  de  Hirsch,  and 
last,  but  not  least,  the  first  director  of  this  school,  Charles  Netter.  What 
would  these  men  say  if  they  could  speak?  What  would  the  founder  say  if 
he  saw  the  change  that  took  place  in  the  School  for  which  he  sacrificed  many 
years  of  his  life  and  where  he  died  with  the  thought  that  he  had  discovered 
the  key  to  the  solution  of  the  Jewish  problem? 

In  1868  Charles  Netter  severed  his  business  connections  and  on  behalf 
of  the  “Alliance  Israelite  Universelle”  left  for  Palestine  to  study  the  con¬ 
ditions  of  the  Land  of  his  Fathers.  He  explored  the  land  “from  Dan  to 
Beer  Sheba,”  during  the  year  he  sojourned  in  Palestine,  and  when  he 
returned  to  Paris,  he  strongly  urged,  in  an  address  delivered  before  the 
members  of  the  “Alliance"  organization,  the  establishment  of  a  school 
for  the  training  of  the  Jewish  youths  of  Palestine  and  adjacent  countries 
in  the  art  and  science  of  agrilulture.3  (Note  5.) 

Though  many  at  that  time  claimed  that  the  Jew  can  never  succeed  as  a 
tiller  of  the  soil,  the  “Alliance”  accepted  the  recommendation  of  Netter  and 
furnished  him  the  necessary  funds  to  start  on  the  realization  of  his  plan. 
He  returned  to  Palestine  where  he  obtained  concessions  from  the  Turkish  • 
authorities  to  build  a  school  on  a  tract  of  government  land  situated  between 
Jaffa  and  the  village  Yazar  on  the  main  road  to  Jerusalem.  The  Pasha  of 
Jerusalem  agreed  to  sell  him  the  land  for  65,000  francs  ($13,000.00)  to  be 
paid  within  25  years.  But  when  he  went  to  Constantinople  to  receive  the 
approval  of  the  government,  the  Sultan  modified  the  agreement,  and  instead 
of  demanding  pay  the  agreement  was  changed  that  the  “Alliance”  shall  only 
pay  a  small  annual  tax,  as  long  as  the  school  is  in  existence,  and  even  the 
small  tax  was  waived  by  the  government,  for  the  first  ten  years.  It  had  also 
permitted  the  importation  of  all  school  equipments  free  of  duty. 


s  Bulletin  Alliance  Universale,  1869,  p.  51.  See  also  Luach  Achiasaph.  1894,  p.  271. 


MIKVEH  ISRAEL 


43 


In  1870,  M.  Netter  took  possession  of  the  territory.  He  built  a  small 
hut  where  he  and  a  number  of  young  men  who  consented  to  stay  with  him 
lived  for  several  months.  As  soon  as  the  boundaries  of  the  land  were  de¬ 
fined,  he  began  work  on  the  school  structures.  The  first  25,000  francs 
($5,000.00)  he  donated  himself  and  he  received  a  donation  from  the  late 
Colonel  Goldsmid  of  25,000  more.  The  one  hundred  thousand  francs  that 
were  still  needed  to  finish  the  building  and  to  furnish  it  were  secured  by  the 
“Alliance.” 

In  order  to  secure  employment  for  the  graduates,  he  suggested  in  a 
letter  to  the  “Paris  Society”  to  form  a  stock  company  and  issue  shares; 
with  the  money  received  from  the  shares,  land  should  be  bought  in 
Palestine4  and  cultivated  by  graduates  of  the  school.  (Large  tracts  of 
government  land  were  for  sale  at  that  time.) 

He  named  his  school  “Mikveh  Israel”  because  he  was  convinced  that 
the  Hope  of  Israel  will  be  realized  by  such  means.  In  a 
letter  of  June  19th,  of  the  same;  year,  he  takes  pride  in  the  Hebrew 
names  which  he  gave  to  the  hills  and  valleys  of  Mikveh  Israel,  names  such 
as  Mount  Abraham,  Mount  Sarah,  The  Oak  of  Moses,  The  Valley  of 
Rebecca,  etc. 

Two  years  he  superintended  his  school.  During  the  day  he  worked 
with  the  plough  and  at  night  he  was  on  guard.  The  Fellahin  of  the 
neighboring  village  Yazar  claimed  that  the  school  land  was  theirs 
because  they  inhabited  it  for  many  years.5  To  spite  Netter  they  drove 
their  cattle  into  the  fields  of  the  farm  school.  A  special  edict  from 
Constantinople,  permitting  the  confiscation  of  cattle  caught  in  the  field, 
put  a  stop  to  such  treachery. 

After  his  troubles  with  the  Fellahin  subsided  his  school  was  excom¬ 
municated  by  the  Orthodox  Rabbis  of  Jerusalem  and  parents  would  not  send 
their  children  to  the  school.  Poor  Netter  was  obliged  to  spend  weeks  in 
Jerusalem  to  convince  the  Ultra  Orthodox  that  he  was  not  a  heretic  and  that 
his  school  was  conducted  on  strictly  religious  lines,  and  in  the  spring  of 
1871  he  took  with  him  15  students  to  celebrate  Passover  at  Jerusalem.  He 

4  See  letter  of  June  4,  1871,  Bulletin  Alliance  Israelite  Universelle. 

5  The  modern  Arab  still  believes  in  the  principle  of  “Hazakah”  (taking  hold  or  posses¬ 
sion),  the  principle  that  was  in  vogue  during  the  Jewish  Second  Commonwealth,  to  which 
great  prominence  is  given  in  the  Talmud.  “Hazakah”  means  the  acquisition  of  property  by 
continued  and  undisturbed  possession  during  a  certain  period  of  time,  which  established 
title  to  the  real  property.  The  Talmud  says:  “Real  property  is  always  in  possession  of  the 
owner  until  evidence  shows  that  he  disposed  of  it.” — B.  K.  95a.  The  rabbis  ordained  that 
undisturbed  possession  for  three  years  was  sufficient  to  establish  ownership,  and  the  bur¬ 
den  of  proof  rested  upon  the  plaintiff.  (B.  B.  29b;  B.  B.  35a;  B.  M.  100a,  116a.) 


44 


NEW  JUDEA 


even  took  steps  to  obtain  the  services  of  Rabbi  Kalischer  as  spiritual  leader 
of  Mikveh  Israel.  But  the  latter,  owing  to  poor  health,  was  prevailed  upon 
by  his  family  not  to  undertake  that  journey.6 

At  the  close  of  the  summer  of  1882  he  made  the  third  trip  to  Palestine. 
He  was  delighted  to  see  that  the  school  which  he  founded  had  made  won¬ 
derful  progress  and  he  contemplated  making  some  changes  in  its  manage¬ 
ment  and  in  the  methods  of  instruction  when  he  took  sick  and  after  a  short 
illness  passed  away. 

On  a  lonely  spot  at  the  extreme  end  of  Mikveh  Israel  grounds,  thor¬ 
oughly  concealed  from  the  eye  by  evergreens,  eucalyptus  and  willows,  a 
stone  bearing  the  following  epitaph  tells  the  tale : 

In  Eternal  Memory  to  Jacob  Netter. 

Born  14  Elul  5586; 

Died  19  Tishri  5643. 

Kind  and  benevolent  to  his  friends. 

Mikveh  Israel,  the  work  of  his  hands. 


•His  letter  of  June  19,  1871.  Goldman  Haasif,  Vol.  I,  33;  Luab  Achiasaf,  1894,  p.  278. 


A  CLUSTER  OF  GRAPES 
“And  they  came  unto  the  brook  of  Escol  and  cut 
down  from  thence  a  branch  with  one  cluster 
of  grapes  and  they  bore  it  between  two  upon 
a  staff.”  (Num.  XIII: 23). 

(See  Page  51) 


AT  THE  FOUNDATION 

“And  they  shall  build  the  waste  cities  and  inhabit  them  (Amos  1:13) 

(See  Page  86) 


IMWW— l»l«« 


AT  THE  THRESHING  FLOOR 

“For  he  shall  gather  them  as  the  sheaves  into  the  treshing  floor”.  (Mich.  1Y:12) 

(See  Page  77) 


“He  that  goeth  forth  and  wheepeth,  bearing  precious  seed  shall  doubtless 
come  again  with  rejoicing  bringing*  his  sheaves  with  him.”  (Psalms  XXVI  :6) 

(See  Page  77) 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


RISHON  V  ZION.  (AJUN  KARA) 

On  a  lonely  barren  and  desolate  place  whose  wells  were  dry  since  the 
days  of  Samson,  there  settled  on  the  fifteenth  day  of  Ab  5642  (1882)  a 
small  group  of  refugees  fleeing  from  persecution,  massacres  and  political 
disabilities,  determined  to  lay  the  foundation  of  an  agricultural  colony  in 
Palestine.  This  tract  of  land  had  hitherto  been  called  by  the  Arabs  “Ajun 
Kara,”  and  is  said  to  be  the  site  of  the  ancient  Philistine  town  Ein  Hakkore1, 
thus  named  by  Samson  in  commemoration  of  the  miracle  of  obtaining 
water  of  the  Lehi. 

The  main  object  of  these  young  settlers  was  to  serve  as  an  example  to 
their  brethren  at  home,  to  abandon  their  life  of  traders  in  Russia,  and  return 
to  the  soil  of  their  historic  land  “Erez  Yisrael.” 

How  far  the  main  object  of  these  idealists  was  realized  must  be  left  to 
the  future  historian  to  tell.  One  thing,  however,  can  be  counted  to  their 
credit.  They,  and  others  that  followed  their  example,  have  by  their  sin¬ 
cerity  of  purpose  demonstrated  for  the  first  time :  first,  that  so  far  as  energy, 
industry  and  aptitude1  for  agricultural  pursuits  are  concerned,  the  Jew  can 
and  will  make  a  good  farmer;  second,  that  the  success  of  the  Jew  as  a  tiller 
of  the  soil  in  Palestine  is  more  permanent  than  in  a  land  in  whose  immediate 
vicinity  there  are  large  industrial  centers  to  be  attracted  by,  and  where  he 
has  the  skilled  energy  of  the  modern  farmer  to  compete  with,  instead  of  the 
helpless  ignorance  of  the  Fellahin  for  his  rival. 

They  named  the  future  colony  Rishon  1’  Zion  (the  first  to  Zion)2 
because  it  was  the  first  effort  in  modern  timesi  on  the  part  of  individual 
Jews  in  the  Diaspora  to  found  a  colony  for  themselves  in  Palestine.3 

The  Rishon  Y  Zion  Colony  brought  good  tidings  not  only  to  the  Jews 
in  Jerusalem  but  also  to  the  Jews  in  exile* *  for  in  a  few  years  it  was  trans¬ 
formed  from  a  sandy,  uncultivated  and  unproductive  soil  into  the  first  col¬ 
ony  in  Zion.  It  is  “first”  in  its  natural  beauty,  in  its  magnificent  gardens,  in 
its  picturesque  landscapes,  and  in  its  healthy  surroundings. 

1  Judges  xv  :19. 

(2)  Petach  tikvoh  was  founded  four  years  before  by  Jews  of  Jerusalem. 

*  Isa.  xli  :27) 


45 


46 


NEW  JUDEA 


From  Mikveh  Israel,  therefore,  we  made  our  way  to  Rishon,  still  con¬ 
tinuing  on  the  main  road  from  Jaffa  to  Jerusalem!,  probably  the  oldest  and 
most  historic  highway  in  the  world — the  same  that  was  used  by  Solomon  to 
transport’  the  timber  which  Hiram,  the  King  of  Tyre,  sent  by  way  of  Jaffa 
to  Jerusalem,  and  the  same  by  which  our  forefathers  made  their  pilgrimages 
three  times  a  year  to  Jerusalem  for  the  high  festivals.  It  does  not  require 
a  very  imaginative  mind  to*  picture  the  scenes  of  those  glorious  days.  The 
multitudes  of  people  carrying  their  offerings  and  gifts  to  the  Holy  City,  the 
holiday  air,  the  enthusiasm,  the  inspiration  these  excursionists  must  have 
derived  on  each  journey,  which  lasted  twelve  hours,  from  Jaffa.  These  are 
but  recollections  of  the  past.  This  highway  is  no  longer  crowded.  Jewish 
pilgrims  to  Jerusalem  are  few,  and  the  many  Christian  pilgrims  travel  by 
railway.  The  traffic  of  this  road  is  confined  to  native  Bedouins,  to  Arab 
fellahin,  and  a  few  Jewish  colonists.  This  historic  highway  appears  very 
much  forsaken  and  neglected.  No  trace  of  its  ancient  splendor  and  no 
vestiges  of  its  past  activities  can  be  noticed.  One  is  moved  to  exclaim  in 
the  words  of  the  prophet : 

“The  ways  of  Zion  do  mourn 
Because  none  come  to  the  solemn  feasts. 

All  her  gates  are  desolate . .  .  ”4 

Yet  everything  appears  most  interesting,  the  environments  most  inspir¬ 
ing,  for  the  road  is  the  same ;  the  villages,  with  a  little  variation,  bear  the 
same  old  Biblical  names.5 

And  the  native  Fellahin  that  we  meet  here  are  probably  the  descendants 
of  ancient  Hebrews  with  a  sprinkling  of  some  of  the  other  nations  of  the 
Scripture,  who  accepted  the  Mohammedan  religion.  In  physiognomy, 
mode  of  life,  custom,  tradition,  ethnic  traits  and  family  life,  there  is  a  strik¬ 
ing  similarity  between  the  modern  Fellah  and  the  Jew.  Indeed,  there  is 
sufficient  ground  for  the  assertion  of  many  observers  that  the  modern  Arab 
is  a  descendant  of  the  ancient  Jewish  peasant  (Am  Haaretz)  and  the  Samari¬ 
tans  who  left  their  people  but  stuck  to  the  land.  Major  Conder  pointed  out 
that  as  late  as  the  days  of  the  Crusaders,  the  Arabs  spoke  the  Aramean 
language,  the  dialect  spoken  by  the  Judeans  during  the  Second  Common¬ 
wealth.  Furthermore  the  modern  Arabic  language  differs  from  that  of  the 
neighboring  countries  in  its  Hebrew  and  Aramean  elements.  Even  their 

religion  is  not  pure  Moslem.  They  look  ancient ;  their  wearing  apparel  is 
_ 

4  Lament  1-4. 

5  Conder  called  attention  to  the  fact  that  almost  the  entire  Biblical  nomenclature  is 
still  in  use  among  the  Fellahin  of  Palestine,  and  that  one-fourth  of  the  villages  of  west- 
tern  Palestine  bear  to  this  day  the  old  Biblical  names. 


RISHON  UZION  ( AJUN  KARA) 


47 


historical  and  their  customs  Biblical.  Modern  civilization  and  all  that  it  im¬ 
plies  have  no  influence  on  them.  They!  still  possess  the  native  courtesy  and 
Semitic  politeness  so  characteristic  of  ancient  Israel.  It  matters  little  wheth¬ 
er  one  meets  a  “Sheikh”  or  an  ordinary  Fellah,  a  Bedouin  or  a  Dervish, 
whether  rich  or  poor,  learned  or  illiterate,  the  meeting  will  always  be  cor¬ 
dial.  The  greetings  are  numerous  and  vary  with  the  time  of  the  day  and 
with  the  person  met.  Thus,  when  one  Moslem  meets  another,  the  greeting 
is  “Essalam  Aleikum”  (Peace  be  with  thee),  equivalent  to  the  Hebrew 
“Shalom  Aleichem.”  The  answer  is  “Aleikum  Essalam” ;  but  when  the 
Moslem  meets  a  stranger,  he  remarks,  “Nehnrach  Said”  (May  thy  day 'be 
happy).  The  reply  should  be,  according  to  Ibrahim,  our  coachman,  “Ne- 
harach  Said  Umabarach”  (Thy  day  shall  be  happy  and  blessed).  Some¬ 
times  the  salute  ran  “Marhaba  Habibi”  (Blessed  are  they  that  come,  my 
friend)  equivalent  to  the  Hebrew  “Baruch  Habah  Havivi.”  The  answer 
is  “Marhabtain”  (many  blessings.)  One  can  readily  feel  here  the  Semitic 
and  Biblical  association  of  our  ancient  neighbors.  Everything  here  appears 
to  be  historical,  even  the  carriage  in  which  we  were  seated  had  its  honorable 
record,  for  Ibrahim,  our  Arab  coachman  and  “turjman”  (Dragoman),  was 
proud  di  the  fact  that  he  conveyed  in  the  same  carriage  to  the  same  colony 
the  late  Zionist  leader,  Theodor  Herzl. 

We  passed  a  number  of  watch-towers  on  the  way.  These  towers  were 
built  in  i860  to  guard  the  route  to  Jerusalem.  At  present  they  have  no  gar¬ 
rison,  and  like  everything  else  here,  they  stand  as  tombstones,  on  the  graves 
of  historic  incidents. 

The  village  of  Yazur,  standing  amidst  green  gardens,  and  the  town 
“Weli-Iman-Ali”  with  its  numerous  domes,  were  pointed  out  to  us  by 
Ibrahim.  The  mud  village  Shakiyah  surrounded  by  olive  trees  and  the  an¬ 
cient  town  of  Beit  Dejan,6  was  shown  to  us  on  the  left  side  of  the  road¬ 
way.  The  latter  town  is  surrounded  by  rainponds  within  mud  banks 
around  which  are  numerous  palm  trees,  orchards  and  gardens. 

The  natives  appear  to  have  learned  the  building  of  mud  houses  from 
their  Hebrew  neighbors  of  ancient  times.  These  mud  houses  were  mostly 
built  in  the  “Sharon”(all  the  land  that  borders  the  sea) and  the  “Sbephelah” 
(the  land  above  the  Sharon  towards  the  inland)  because  no  stones  suitable 
for  building  purposes  were  to  be  found  in  these  districts.  The  inhabitants 


8  Beth  Dagon  in  Hebrew,  where  the  holy  ark  was  captured  by  the  Philistines( Josh.  xy:41 


48 


NEW  JUDEA 


of  these  mud-villages  found  their  graves  under  these!  houses  when  a  sudden 
heavy  rain  attacked  their  dwellings  at  night.7  (Note  7.). 

As  all  over  in  Palestine,  one  cannot  travel  very  far  without  seeing 
ruins  of  cities,  of  wells,  of  terraces,  of  ancient  shafts,  etc.,  that  bespeak  the 
glory  of  the  past.  The  district  where  “Rishon”  is  situated  belongs  to  what 
is  known  ini  the  Bible  as  “Shephelah”  (lowland).  It  is  about  two  hundred 
and  fifty  feet  above  the  sea  level. 

This  district,  because  of  its  fertility,8  was  thickly  populated  in  ancient 
times,  the  valleys  waved  with  corn  and  the  hillsides  were  covered  with  olive 
trees.  The  Palestine  Exploration  Fund  found  as  many  as  three  ancient  sites 
of  cities  within  two  square  miles.  Today  it  is  but  sparsely  inhabited.  Ri¬ 
shon  is  situated  about  five  and  a  half  miles  from  Jaffa  and  two  and  a  half 
miles  from  the  sea.  From  some  distance  Rishon  le  Zion  can  be  recognized 
at  the  south  side  of  the  main  road  by  its  numerous  vineyards,  its  picturesque 
fields,  modern  structures  and  its  numerous  shady  trees. 

The  approach  to  the  colony  is  made  through  a  long  straight  driveway 
on  each  side  of  which  are  rows  of  trees.  An  opening  through  a  white  stone 
fence  marks  the  entrance  to,  the  Colony.  We  were  met  by  many  children 
and  we  were  greeted  with  as  many  “Shaloms”  on  the  way  to  Hotel  Belkind, 
for  it  was  noontime  and  the  pupils  were  hurrying  home  for  their  midday 
meal.  It  was  indeed,  gratifying  to  observe  with  what  respect  these  young 
Judeans  treated  us  foreigners.  Hospitality  to>  strangers  is  a  typical  Jewish 
virtue,  and  in  no  place  is  the  practice  more  exhibited  than  in  the  Jewish 
Land,  Here  is  a  lesson  that  our  American  children  may  learn  from  their 
Palestinian  brethren. 

Rishon  le-Zion  is  practically  one  large  vineyard  through  which  run  ave¬ 
nues  crossing  each  other  at  right  angles.  At  each  side  of  these  thorough¬ 
fares  are  modern  stone  structures  surrounded  by  green  lawns,  gardens,  or¬ 
chards  and  numerous  eucalyptus  and  castor  oil  trees.9 

As  in  most  Palestinian  towns,  the  streets  are  not  level,  for  it  is  a  moun¬ 
tainous  country,  and  the  white  two-story  stone  houses  with  the  red  roofs 
peeping  through  the  green  foliage  up  the  hills  appear  very  picturesque  when 
observed  from  a  lower  level. 


7Jer  Yoraa,  v  :3 ;  also  Piyyut  for  the  Day  of  Atonement,  wherein,  (as  in  the  cited  pas¬ 
sage)  the  High  Priest  is  stated  to  have  prayed  for  the  people  of  Sharon :  “May  not  their 
houses  become  their  graves!” 

8  It  is  the  richest  region  in  the  land.  It  was  known  for  the  luxurious  olives,  acacias 
and  grain  fields  (I  Chron.  xxvii,  28).  The  terebinth  (Hebrew,  Alah)  are  as  yet  the  best  in 
Palestine. 

9  It  is  probably  the  original  of  Jonah’s  gourd— “Kikayon  de  Yonah”). 


RISHON  L'ZION  ( AJUN  KARA) 


49 


In  the  centre  of  the  main  street  is  a  spacious  two-story  schoolhouse, 
which  is  thoroughly  modern  and  sanitary.  This  school  has  a  daily  attend¬ 
ance  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  well  disciplined  children,  boys  and  girls,  under 
the  guidance  of  five  able  teachers.  The  program  is  so  arranged  that  each 
child  receives  a  Jewish  national  and  secular  education  after  the  completion 
of  a  six  years’  course.10 

It  is  an  elementary  and  grammar  school.  The  Bible,  Biblical  and  Post 
Biblical  History,  with  the  geography  of  Palestine,  are  the  most  important 
subjects.  The  others  are  arithmetic,  Hebrew  grammar,  literature,  drawing, 
elementary  physics,  physiology,  music,  botany  and  gymnastics.  Among  the 
languages  may  be  mentioned  Arabic  and  French.  All  these  subjects  are 
taught  in  Hebrew.  The  children  appear  well-fed,  healthy  and  robust,  pos¬ 
sess  an  athletic  bearing  and  a  happy  temperament.  One  derives  intense 
pleasure  watching  these  young,  erect,  thoroughly  emancipated  Palestinians 
conversing  in  the  tongue  of  Moses  and  Isaiah  which  sounds  like  music  to 
one’s  ear.  One  thing,  however,  may  be  said  in  the  way  of  criticism  of  their 
system  of  education,  namely:  There  is  an  artificial  air  about  the  school,  and 
an  excess  of  formalities  which  should  find  no  place  in  a  Jewish  house  of 
learning.  If  the  teachers  would  only  learn  to  be  a  little  less  formal,  and 
more  democratic — take  off  their  white  gloves — and  stop  imitating  Germany 
and  Switzerland,  I  believe'  the  Rishon  school  would  be  a  model.  The  New 
Judaism,  if  it  stands  for  anything,  must  be  thoroughly  democratic  in  its 
principles,  and  must  turn  to  Jewish  sources  for  guidance  in  matters  of  con¬ 
duct  as  well  as  oif  morality.  We  may  learn  from  other  people,  but  we  must 
not  imitate  them. 

The  “Pardes  Hamoshabah”  or  public  park,  is  the  pride  of  the  colony. 
It  contains  about  six  thousand  tropical  trees,  ethrogim  (large  citrons),  figs, 
olives  and  almond  trees.  Among  flowers  should  be  mentioned  wall  flowers,, 
pansies,  irses,  lilies,  sweet  smelling  myrrh  and  the  fleur-de-lis,  beauti' 
fully  arranged  in  an  artistic  manner. 

It  is  the  recreation  centre  of  the  Colony ;  the  air  here  is  refreshing  and 
invigorating,  and  the  large  collection  of  fragrant  flowers  that  adorn  these 
grounds  keeps  the  atmosphere  saturated  with  the  sweetest  perfume.  Dur¬ 
ing  the  hot  summer  months  one  finds  perfect  shelter  and  comfort  in  the 
broad  boulevard  that  cuts  through  the  paint  garden,  for,  the  two  rows  of 
trees  at  the  sides  of  this  magnificent  avenue  approach  each  other  at  the  top 
to  form  a  roof  for  protection  against  the  sun.  Close  to  the  entrance  is  a 


10  The  Talmud  Torah,  or  the  parents  themselves,  attend  to  their  religious  education. 


50 


NEW  JUDEA 


large  reservoir  which  furnishes  ample  irrigation  to  this  pleasure  resort  and 
sends  through  underground  tubes  a  sufficient  supply  of  water  to  all  the 
houses  of  the  Colony — several  such  wells  are  provided. 

Nearby  is  the  famous  wine  cellar  built  by  Baron  Edmund  de  Rothschild 
at  a  cost  of  one  and  a  half  million  frcs.  ($300,000.00).  It  is  said  to  be  one 
of  the  largest  wine  cellars  in  the  world,  and  is  fitted  up  with  the  most  costly 
machinery  for  the  manufacture  and  preservation  of  wine.  It  has  also  a 
large  workshop  for  the  making  of  wooden  vessels  used  for  the  exporting  of 
wines  and  cognacs. 

Most  of  the  colonists  that  are  engaged  in  wine  culture  send  their  grapes 
to  this  cellar.  There  are  about  258  families  residing  in  various  colonies  that 
bring  their  grapes  to  the  wine  cellar : 

Rechoboth,  90;  Rishon,  83 ;  Zichron  Jacob,  57 ;  Petach  Tikva,  7 ;  Katra, 
16 ;  Neis  Ziyonah,  5 ;  total,  258. 

They  are  co-operated  under  the  name  Agudath  Hakormim  (wine  grow¬ 
ers’  syndicate).11 

The  “Ika”  has  lately  installed  two  presses,  one  in  “Petach  Tikvah,”  the 
other  in  “Rechoboth,”  to  save  the  expense  of  carrying  the  grapes  to  Rishon, 
but  after  they  are  pressed,  they  send  the  grape  juice  to  Rishon  in  large  ves¬ 
sels  to  be  turned  into  wine. 

Formerly  the  wine  industry  was  in  the  hands  of  the  “Ika”  administra¬ 
tion,  to  whom  colonists  sold  their  grapes,  and  when  some  years  ago, 
the  managers  of  the  Ika  noticed  that  the  vineyards  produced  more  gtapes 
than  the  market  required,  and  that  the  natural  yearly  increase  was  out  of 
proportion  to  the  demand,  they  ordered  that  each  colonist  tear  out  a  certain 
proportion  of  his  grape  vines  and  plant  in  their  stead  other  fruit  that  can 
find  a  ready  market,  such  as  oranges,  citrons,  almonds,  figs,  nuts,  apples,  etc. 

But  now  the  wine  industry  is  the  direct  concern  of  the  colonists,  con¬ 
ducted  on  a  co-operative  basis,  under  the  able  supervision,  of  Wolf  Gluskin. 
The  vine  growers  syndicate  represents  practically  all  the  colonists  in  Pales¬ 
tine  that  are  engaged  in  the  cultivation  of  the  vine.  The  wines  and  cognacs 
are  exported  to  almost  all  countries,  and  the  demand  for  Rishon  wine  is 
becoming  greater  every  year.  In  the  Orient  the  “Carmel  Oriental  Com¬ 
pany”  has  a  monopoly  of  the  wines,  and  in  America  and  Europe  the  “Carmel 
Wine  Company”  are  the  sole  agents  of!  the  Rishon  wines  and  cognacs.  The 
Rishon  wine  is  the  largest  industry  in  Palestine  and  one  of  the  largest  in 
the  Orient.  About  one  hundred  employees  find  steady'  occupation  there  and 


11  Smilansky,  in  “Hashiloach,”  Vol.  26,  540.  Barzilai,  lb.  Vol.  27,  85,375. 


RISHON  UZION  (AJUN  KARA)  51 

it  is  estimated  that  about  five  thousand  souls  derive  a  livelihood  from  this 
commodity. 

Vine  culture  is  the  chief  culture  of  the  Colony.  (5000  D.  land  is 
planted  with  grapes.)  Most  of  the  grapes  planted  have  been  imported 
from  America  and  grafted  with  French  varieties  to  protect  them  from  the 
scourge  of  the  Phylloxera.  The  grapes  in  1908  are  estimated  to  have  ma¬ 
terialized  as  much  as  183,126  frcs.  ($36,625.00),  of  which  one-half  is  profit. 
“Rishon”  by  itself  has  produced  more  than  400,000  gallons  of  wine  in  one 
year  besides  large  quantities  of  cognac  and  brandy. 

Other  products  cultivated  with  great  success  are  almonds.  (1000  D. 
is  planted  with  this  article.)  Thirty  hectars  of  almonds  have  yielded  a 
profit  of  $1600.00.  This  result  is  very  encouraging  and  in  a  few  years  the 
colony  will  have  two  hundred  hectars  of  almonds  for  the  market.  The 
result  of  the  orange  and  olive  culture  is  also  satisfactory.  (Only  100  D. 
land  is  cultivated  with  olives. 

Over  twenty  thousand  mulberry  trees  have  been  planted  in  Rishon  for 
silk-worm  culture,  but  for  some  reason  the  manufacture  of  silk  has  not 
been  encouraging.  Other  products  cultivated  with  marked  success  are 
ethrogim  (large  citrons),  pomegranates,  apples,  bananas  (called  there  Eve’s 
figs  because  of  ttieir  large  leaves)  and  other  fruits  thrive  excellently  in  this 
settlement. 

One  colonist  has  successfully  cultivated  the  geranium  rose,  from  which 
a  costly  oil  is  produced,  and  he  secured  proper  machinery  to  distill  it,  but 
the  market  is  too  fluctuating  at  present  to  encourage  the  engaging  in  such 
operations  on  a  large  scale.  Cereals  are  but  little  grown  in  this  colony,  as 
the  land  is  not  suitable  for  that  purpose. 

The  net  profit  from  all  these  products,  generally  speaking,  is  satisfac¬ 
tory  and  qreditable  to  the  colonists.  One  who  visits  here  and  sees  these 
wonderful  results  agrees  with  Herr  Aronson,  the  famous  Palestinian  agri¬ 
cultural  expert,  that  the  Jew  makes  an  excellent  gardener  and  planter,  sur¬ 
passing  the  fruit  growers  of  other  countries  in  skill,  intellignce  and  industry, 
and  that  the  coast  line  of  Palestine  is  as  well  suited  for  such  culture  as  the 
best  fruit  growing  district  of  California. 

The  number  of  Arab  laborers  is  gradually  diminishing  and  a  Jewish 
peasantry  is  being  formed.  The  colonists  have  learned  by  experience  that 
the  land  will  only  yield  a  living  if  worked  conscientiously,  and  that  they 
must  rely  on  their  own  resources  if  they  are  to  attain  success  (this,  of 
course,  applies  to  all  the  colonies). 


52 


NEW  JUDEA 


The  indebtedness  of  the  colony  to  Baron  Rothschild  is  being  gradually 
liquidated.  A  deputation  of  colonists  visited  Paris  and  handed  to  Baron 
Edmund  a  cheque  for  400,000  frcs.  ($80,000.00),  the  first  instalment  on 
their  debt  for  the  cellar.  When  the  Baron  handed  over  the  cellars  of 
Rishon  and  Zichron  he  added  1,600,000  frcs.  ($320,000.00)  for  a  working 
capital,  and  their  debt  due  to  him  was  2,000,000  frcs.  ($400,000.00). 

We  found  while  visiting  the  Beth  Am  (Town  Hall)  the  secretary  of 
the  Vaad  (Town  Council)  Jacob  Freiman  (a  son  of  a  pioneer  colonist) 
engaged  in  drawing  deeds  in  the  Hebrew  language,  he  being  assisted  by 
another  man  named  S.  P.  Rosen,  who  has  demonstrated  fine  draftsmanship 
in  drawing  the  lots  which  indicated  the  rights  of  ownership  to  the  proper¬ 
ties  of  many  colonists. 

In  this  building  is  the  seat  of  the  Town  Council.  The  Vaad  Hamoshabah 
is  elected  annually  during  the  Succoth  (Tabernacles)  festival,  the  great  fes¬ 
tival  which  occurs  when  the  colonists  have  gathered  in  the  fruits  of  their 
year’s  labors  and  the  colony  is  provided  with  all  the  necessities  of  life  for 
the  year.12 

The  Town  Council  consists  of  seven  (Shibah  Tubei  Ha’ir).1*  These 
elect  from  among  themselves  a  president  (Rosh  Hava’ad),  a  secretary 
(Mazkir)  and  a  treasurer  (Gizbar).  The  internal  affairs  of  the  commu¬ 
nity  are  administered  by  these  seven,  who  constitute  themselves  into 
committees — sanitary,  cultural  government  (who  treat  with  the  Turkish 
government)  and  arbitration — and  these  with  the  president  at  their 
head  as  ex-officio,  are  in  supreme  control  of  the  colony,  their  decision 
is  final.  Very  seldom  are  appeals  made  to  the  Turkish  Law; 
either  the  Rabbi  administers  the  Jewish  law  or  the  Arbitration  Commit¬ 
tee  settles  all  disputes,  and  I  was  informed  on  reliable  authority  that 
there  was  never  any  serious  disagreement  that  could  not  be  adjusted 
right  in  the  colony.14 

The  Turkish  government  has  no  official  there,  and  as  long  as  the  Osher 
(tithe)  is  collected,  the  colony  enjoys  local  autonomy.  The  colony  owns  a 
beautiful  synagogue  near  which  is  the  Talmud  Torah,  where  Talmud 
(among  many  other  subjects)  is  taught,15  a  hospital  well 

11  All  male  and  female  residents  who  have  reached  the  age  of  twenty  share  equally  In  the 
annual  election  of  the  “Vaad.” 

13  The  Town  Council  (Va’ad  Hamoshaboh)  is  not  only  respected  by  Its  own  constituents, 
but  is  also  recognized  by  the  Arabs,  who  depend  upon  their  decision  In  all  matters  of  business 

14  A  district  Va’ad,  composed  of  delegates  from  the  councils  of  the  various  colonies,  with 
headquarters  at  Rishon-le-Zion,  attends  to  general  matters  in  which  all  the  colonists  are 
concerned. 

19  Maintained  by  a  Frankfurt  organization.  There  are  in  attendance  about  fifty  pupils, 
under  the  instruction  of  three  teachers.  The  annual  budget  is  5,000  francs  ($1,C00). 


RISHON  UZ10N  ( AJUN  KARA ) 


53 


equipped  to  accommodate  many  patients  (also  used  by  the 
neighboring  colonists),  a  public  bath,  a  free  loan  association,  a  public 
school,16  a  kindergarten  and  a  library.  There  are  also  literary  societies 
whose  purpose  is  to  give  public  lectures  at  the  Beth  Am,  and  a  Talmudic 
Circle,  the  members  of  which  study  Talmud  every  day  at  the  synagogue ;  a 
town  band  which  discourses  sweet  music,  a  volunteer  fire  company,  a  medi¬ 
cal  clinic  and  an  apothecary. 

Each  colonist  possesses  a  modern  stone  house  surrounded  by  lawns  and 
plenty  of  shade  trees.  At  the  back  of  each  homestead  are  vineyards,  or¬ 
chards  and  vegetable  gardens,  as  well  as  sheds  and  barns  for  the  accommoda¬ 
tion  of  horses,  cows,  wagons,  poultry,  and  for  storing  away  feed,  fruit,  and 
farming  implements.  These  homesteads  are  kept  in  an  orderly  and  sanitary 
condition.17 

One  of  the  most  striking  facts  that  appeals  to  the  tourist  is  the  new 
Hebrew  spirit  that  prevails  here.  It  is  remarkable  how  the  Hebrew  lan¬ 
guage  has  been  made  flexible,  productive  and  adaptable  to  modern  condi¬ 
tions  by  these  young  Judeans.  A  little  tot  of  three  made  me  and  my  com¬ 
panions  blush  while  at  the  house  of  Herr  H - .  One  of  our  company, 

being  desirous  of  satisfying  the  curiosity  of  hearing  Hebrew  spoken  by  a 
child,  asked  a  girl  of  seven  in  Hebrew,  “What  is  your  name?”  and  in  his 
haste  used  the  second  person  masculine  to  her  (Ma  Shmecho,  instead  of 
Ma  Shmeich).  Her  younger  sister,  a  child  of  three,  playing  around  the 
room  with  a  doll,  overheard  the  question  ran  to  her  father  and  whispered 
in  his  ear,  “Are  these  men  Jews?  They  speak  Hebrew  as  badly 
as  Ibrahim  (the  Arab  guide).”  The  poor  child  could  not  see  how  it 
was  possible  for  a  Jew  not  to  speak  Hebrew!  She  was  ignorant  of  the 
fact  that  she  was  “knocking”  at  American  Zionists,  Presidents  of  Syna¬ 
gogues  and  Directors  of  American  Talmud  Torahs.  In  no  other  place 
is  the  genuine  Hebrew  spirit  manifested  as  in  Rishon.  The  young  ge¬ 
neration  will  not  talk  anything  else  but  Hebrew,  and  when  one  visits 
a  school,  unless  he  speaks  Hebrew  well,  he  feels  like  the  emigrant 
mother  who  comes  to  the  American  school  room  with  a  grievance  and 
talks  in  broken  English  in  the  presence  of  the  class. 

Though  many  of  the  younger  generation  are  compelled  to  leave  the 
colony  because  the  land  owned  by  their  parents  is  not  sufficient  to  provide 

*•  The  public  school  is  co-educational.  consisting  of  a  principal,  six  teachers  and  150 
pupils.  Besides  Hebrew,  Arabic  and  French  are  taught.  The  yearly  budget  is  13,500  francs 
($2,700). 

1T  Many  houses  were  erected  for  the  Yemenite  Jewish  laborers  by  the  Jewish  National 
Fund,  by  David  and  Fannie  Wolfson  Fund,  by  Herr  Goldbeig,  of  Wllna,  and  Mr.  Gluskin, 
administrator  of  the  Carmel  Wine  Syndicate. 


54 


NEW  JUDEA 


a  livelihood  for  the  entire  family  when  grown  up,  yet  the  colony  is  growing 
in  every  respect.  From  a  handful  of  colonists  in  1883  it  increased  to  four 
hundred  and  frfty  inhabitants  in  1888,  and  six  years  later  to  five  hundred 
and  thirty-one.  At  present  the  population  is-  about  one  thousand,  divided 
into  two  hundred  families,  among  whom  are  470  land  owners ;  the  rest  are 
residents  who  earn  their  living  as  employees,  mechanics,  merchants,  teach¬ 
ers,  officials,  or  who  have  independent  means. 

The  land  area  has  increased  from  7,000  D.  to  over  15,000  D.,  and  the 
buildings  number  126,  of  which  90  are  private  dwellings,  and  136  public 
buildings.18 

Rishon  TZion  some  years  ago  was  raised  to  the  status  of  a  “Beled” 
(township),  the  Turkish  Government  doing  this  on  the  recommendation 
of  the  Pasha  of  Jerusalem.19 

For  the  first  city-Mayor  was  elected  Mar  Liebman  and  for  Vice-Mayor 
Mar  Mayerowitz.  The  government  at  the  same  time  gave  the  new  munic¬ 
ipality  permission  to  plant}  trees  on  the  sand  dunes  towards  the  sea  to  pre¬ 
vent  the  sand  from  covering  the  colony.20 

The  anti-Jewish  outbreaks  in  Russia  in  the  early  eighties  of  the  last 
century  brought  many  Jews  to  Palestine  to  look  for  their  salvation  in  the 
land  of  their  fathers.  During  the  summer  of  1883  several  thousands  of 
these  refugees  came  to  Jaffa,  most  of  whom  intended  to  establish  themselves 
in  Palestine  as  farmers.  Though  the  greater  number  of  these  were  poor 
victims  of  pogroms,  still  there  were  among  them  some  who  were  financially 
prepared  to  engage  in  agriculture.  A  group  of  these  emigrants  organized 
themselves  into  a  society  bearing  the  Hebrew  name  “Va’ad  Haluzei  Yesod 
Hama’alah.”21 

The  leaders  of  this  group  were  Solomon  David  Levontin,  present  Direc¬ 
tor  of  the  Anglo  Palestine  Bank,  and  Joseph  Feinberg.  The  former  be¬ 
came  the  advisor  and  the  guiding  spirit  in  the  new  colony.  He  was  also 
instrumental  in  persuading  his  wealthy  uncle,  Hirsh  Levontin,  of  Nicolaief, 
to  join  the  group  of  Rishon,  eventually  purchasing  a  large  tract  of  land 

18  Barzilai,  “Hashiloah,”  Vol.  27,  p.  373;  Luach  Erez  Tisrael,  1912. 

16  The  Ottoman  law  is:  “Any  village  that  has  fifty  families,  natives  or  naturalized  citi¬ 
zens,,  may  become  a  Beled.”  “Ajun  Kara”  (or  Rishon)  not  having  fifty  Ottoman  families, 
the  neighboring  colony  of  Neis-Zionah,  and  the  little  colony  of  Beer  Jacob  were  added.  Beer 
Jacob  was  founded  in  1908,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Rishon,  by  the  Hovevei  Zion  of  Russia, 
for  the  Gruzinian  Jews,  and  was  named  “Beer  Jacob,”  in  honor  of  Rabbi  Jacob,  of  Bochara. 
There  are  about  twenty  families,  possessing  2,040  D.  land.  Most  of  them  are  also  work¬ 
ing  in  other  colonies. 

20  Ha-Poel  ha-Za’ir,  1912,  No.  4 

21  The  honorary  chairman  was  Hayim  Amazlag,  British  Vice  Consul,  one  of  the  few 
Sephardic  Jews  at  that  time  who  took  a  deep  interest  in  Jewish  colonization.  The  land 
of  Rishon  l’Zion  was  bought  in  his  name,  as  the  Turkish  Government  forbade  Russian 
Jews  possessing  land  in  Palestine. 


RISHON  LfZlON  ( AJUN  KARA)  55 

in  the  settlement.  Joseph  Feinberg  was  a  man  of  West  European  culture, 
a  former  student  of  chemistry  at  the  University  of  Munich,  a  talented 
speaker  and  possessed  a  magnetic  personality.22 

This  group  secured  a  tract  of  3,336  D.  land  (a  dunam  is  920  meters  or 
II33//z  square  yards,  dunam  make  one  acre),  at  Ajun  Kara,  situated 
two  hours’  walk  from  Jaffa  and  half  an  hour  from  the  sea,  for  which  they 
paid  the  sum  of  42,900  frcs.  ($8,580). 

On  the  ninth  of  Ab  title  to  the  land  was  secured  and  six  days  later 
eleven  members  of  the  group  left  Jaffa  to  take  possession  of  their  colony. 
There  were  indeed  a  few  things  in  favor  of  the  site  chosen.  It  was  very 
close  to  Jaffa  and  the  sea,  adaptable  to  viticulture,  and  it  contained  quar¬ 
ries  of  stone  suitable  for  building  purposes.  But  the  soil  was  absolutely 
useless  for  agriculture. 

The  entire  assets  of  Ajun  Kara  were  one  sycamore  tree  on  a  high  hill, 
and  its  large  shady  branches  served  the  few  settlers  as  a  shelter  from  the  sun. 

Tradition  had  it  that  on  the  summit  of  the  hill  where  the  old  sycamore 
was  located,  bonfires  were  built  in  ancient  times  to  signal  the  birth  of  the 
New  Moon.  As  to  the  origin  of  this  mysterious  tree,  there  has  been  much 
speculation  on  the  part  of  Arabs  and  Jews  alike.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  un¬ 
der  this  tree  religious  services  for  some  time  were  held  in  the  early  days 
of  the  colony,  and  the  historic  value  of  this  place  influenced  them  to  adopt 
it  as  the  village  grave  yard,  where  rest  the  remains  of  many  pioneers,  whose 
heroism  will  serve  as  an  example  of  self-sacrifice  and  noble  deeds  to  future 
generations. 

Soon  after  their  arrival  they  set  to  work  tearing  out  the  wild  weeds, 
“Hilpah,”23  to  clear  away  stones,  to  build  roads  and  to  dig  a  well. 

The  Templars  of  the  German  colony  Sharona  advised  them  that  the  best 
position  for  a  well  was  in  the  uppermost  part  of  the  colony.  Their  object 
was  presumably  to  get  sufficient  water  pressure  so  that  when  the  houses 
would  be  erected  at  a  lower  level  they  would  be  supplied  with  water  in 
their  houses  by  means  of  tubes,  thereby  saving  trouble  and  inconvenience 
of  carrying  water.  The  young  settlers  dug  into  the  hill  about  28  meters 
deep,  and  seeing  no  water  forthcoming,  they  gave  up  that  position  and  be¬ 
gan  digging  at  a  lower  level,  but  they  met  with  no  better  results  in  their 
new  place.  Here,  after  the  well  was  ready,  the  twenty  meter  stone  walls 
collapsed  and  closed  up  the  well.  This  last  failure  disheartened  them  very 

22  Israel  Belkind,  In  “The  Day,”  of  Sept.  30,  1916. 

23  A  large,  thick  weed,  consisting  of  narrow  leaves,  resembling  those  of  onions,  that 
grow  profusely  in  the  sandy  soil  of  Judea. 


56 


NEW  JUDEA 


much.  They  were  obliged  to  carry  water  in  barrels  from  the  village  Beth 
Dagon,  an  hour’s  distance,  or  from  Mikveh  Israel,  and  by  the  time  it  reached 
Rishon  the  water  splashed  out  on  the  way,  and  the  little  that  was  left  was 
warm  and  not  fit  to  drink.  The  food  also  was  of  a  poor  quality,  such  as 
they  were  not  accustomed  to  eat,  and  many  a  day  they  lived  on  “Battich” 
(watermelon).  After  a  hard  day’s  work  under  the  tropical  sun,  they  were 
disturbed  at  night,  for  they  had  no  houses  where  they  could  find  shelter 
from  the  cold  air  of  the  night  and  protection  from  the  wild  beasts  and  sav¬ 
age  tribes.  They  found  themselves  in  the  position  of  Jacob  of  old,  who 
said :  “Thus  I  was,  in  the  day  the  drought  consumed  me  and  the  frost  by 
night  and  my  sleep  departed  from  mine  eyes.”24  (Note  6.). 

Like  their  ancestors,  in  the  desert,  they  found  themselves  with  no 
bread  to  sustain  them  and  no  water  to  quench  their  thirst,  but  here  the 
'‘Manna”  was  not  forthcoming.  All  their  enthusiasm,  energy  and  phys¬ 
ical  strength  were  well-nigh  exhausted,  and  their  condition  became  precari¬ 
ous.  Some  determined  to  leave  the  place.  All  began  to  realize  that  to 
continue  further  was  impossible.  They  were  ready  to  make  sacrifices  in 
order  to  serve  as  an  example  to  their  brethren  abroad,  but  starvation  would 
not  be  an  encouraging  example.  They  viewed  their  failure  not  as  a  per¬ 
sonal  matter,  but  as  a  national  calamity,  as  their  failure  might  retard  the 
national  movement  indefinitely. 

From  such  a  point  of  view  they  issued  an  appeal  to  the  Jews  of  Eu¬ 
rope.  They  addressed  themselves  to  the  national  instincts  of  their  people, 
making  a  frank  statement  of  conditions  of  affairs  that  confronted  them, 
but  it  was  almost  like  “a  voice  in  the  wilderness.”  The  assistance  received 
was  351  roubles  (about  $175.50)  from  Russia,  collected  through  the  Russo- 
Jewish  paper  Woschod,  and  1,500  frcs.  ($300)  from  other  parts  of  Europe, 
a  sum  hardly  sufficient  to  pay  the  debts  they  had  already  contracted  for 
the  necessities  of  life.  They  then  sent  Joseph  Feinberg  to  solicit  the  sym¬ 
pathy  of  influential  people  in  their  behalf,  but  this  solicitor  met  with  little 
success.  He  came  to  Paris  with  the  idea  of  interesting  the  Alliance  Israel¬ 
ite  Universelle,  the  only  Jewish  organization  in  those  days  that  concerned 
itself  with  Jewish  philanthropic  work,  independent  of  state  or  territory,  but 
he  was  received  very  coldly.  He  was  on  the  point  of  giving  up  all  hope 
of  success  in  his  mission,  the  failure  of  which  would  in  all  probabilities 
have  meant  not  only  a  death-blow  to  the  few  men  that  were  already  set¬ 
tled  in  Palestine,  but  a  set-back  to  the  entire  movement  of  colonization. 

But  here  the  angel  of  salvation  appeared  in  the  form  of  Baron  Ed- 


u  Gen.  xxxi  :40. 


RISHON  UZ10N  (AJUN  KARA ) 


5T 


mond  de  Rothschild,  since  known  as  the  “Nadib  Hayadua,”  the  renowned 
philanthropist.26  The  attention  of  Rothschild  was  attracted  to  the  lamenta¬ 
ble  condition  of  the  settlers  by  the  late  Rabbi  Samuel  Mohilever,  who,  with 

the  help  of  Grand  Rabbin  Zadoc  Kahn,  Isidor  Loeb  and  Michael  Erlanger, 
succeeded  in  winning  the  Baron’s  interest  to  the  colonization  scheme  ia 

Palestine.  Erlanger,  in  his  capacity  of  private  secretary  to  the  Baron,, 
was  ordered  to  dispatch  30,000  frcs.  ($6,000)  for  immediate  assistance. 
The  money  was  entrusted  to  Captain  Hirsh,  then  director  of  the  Mikveh 
Israel  School.  He  was  requested  to  act  as  supervisor  of  the  new  settle¬ 
ment  and  to  exercise  his  discretion  in  the  distribution  of  the  money  as  well 
as  in  the  management  of  the  colony.  Since  that  time  Rishon  entered  upon 
a  new  era.  The  work  on  the  well,  that  for  lack  of  funds  had  not  been 
finished,  was  resumed,  and  now  at  a  depth  of  45  meters  water  was  discov¬ 
ered.  It  was  just  before  the  Passover  of  the  year  1883  when  the  well  was 
finished,  and  the  holiday  was  a  double  one  and  was  celebrated  with  great 
rejoicing. 

After  Passover  (1883)  streets  were  laid  out,  and  work  begun  on  the 
building  of  houses,  a  synagogue  and  a  Talmud  Torah.  Rishon  then  entered 
upon  a  communal  life.27 

For  some  time  things  passed  on  smoothly ;  fourteen  more  families  were 
added  to  their  number  and  eight  persons  of  the  Bilu  society,  who  were  work¬ 
ing  at  Mikveh  Israel,  made  their  homes  here.29 

But  soon  dissatisfaction  arose  and  quarrels  broke  .out,  the  factional 
strife  became  acute,  threatening  disruption  of  the  colony  as  well  as  the 
loss  of  interest  on  the  part  of  the  Baron  in  the  movement.  The  cause  of 
the  trouble  was  due  to  misunderstanding  and  lack  of  confidence  between 
the  colonists  and  the  administration.30 

As  stated  above,  the  management  of  the  colony  was  vested  in  Hirsh,, 
of  Mikveh  Israel.  He  being  occupied  with  the  direction  of  his  own  school 
chose  one  of  the  teachers  to  manage  affairs  in  Rishon,  with  headquarters  at 
Mikveh.  This  new  head  (Monsieur  •Digur)  was  not  a  Jew  himself.  He 

28  For  some  time  the  name  of  the  benevolent  man  who  rendered  them  assistance  was 
not  known,  hertce  he  was  named  the  “Renowned  Philanthropist”  by  the  colonists. 

27  Haasif  I,  140,  and  Luach  Achiasaf,  1904,  p.  131. 

29  In  that  very  year  Charles  Netter  arrived  at  Mikveh  Israel,  and  he  was  impressed 
with  the  untiring  efforts,  the  zeal  and  behavior  of  the  young  Russian  students.  He  rec¬ 
ommended  their  removal  to  Rishon  l’Zion,  and  for  those  left  ini  the  agricultural  school  he 
was  planning  to  build  houses  at  Mikveh  Israel,  but  unfortunately  he  took  sick  ten  days 
after  his  arrival  (on  Yom  Kippur)  and  died  mine  days  afterwards.  Michael  Erlanger  sent 
Netter’s  letter  to  Baron  Rothschild,  who  issued  orders  to  transport  them  to  Rishon  l’Zion. 

10  At  first  Joseph  Feinberg  was  the  representative  of  Rothschild  in  the  colony,  but 
being  one  of  their  own,  they  did  not  respect  his  orders,  and  he  resigned  from  the  man¬ 
agement. 


58 


NEW  JUDEA 


did  not  know  the  Russian  Jew,  nor  was  he  able  to  enter  into  his  psychology 
or  appreciate  his  national  sentiment.  To  him  it  was  a  philanthropic  enter¬ 
prise,  pure  and  simple,  on  the  part  of  Rothschild, — to  keep  poor  Jews  fromi 
starvation.  The  beneficiaries,  in  his  opinion,  were  not  to  be  consulted  in 
the  management  of  the  colony.  The  colonists,  on  the  other  hand,  expected 
the  money  as  a  loan  on  their  property  to  pay  off  at  certain  intervals;  they 
did  not  expect  charity.  They  were  an  independent  people,  and  as  victims 
of  persecution,  in  an  autocratic  country,  they  hated  rulers,  and  were  dis¬ 
mayed  to  find  that  they  had  to  pay  for  the  assistance  they  received  with 
their  independence,  a  price  which  they  regarded  as  too  high.  They  felt  that 
they  ceased  to  be  the  owners  of  the  land  they  had  purchased  and  that  they 
were  reduced  to  the  dependent  position  of  farm  hands.  They  had  hereto¬ 
fore  held  that  they  were  not  only  accountable  to  themselves  for  their  acts, 
but  they  were  equally  responsible  to  their  brethren  abroad.  Now  they 
found  themselves  deprived  of  their  liberty,  the  very  reason  for  coming  to 
Palestine.81 

All  the  activities  of  Rishon  were  now  dependent  entirely  upon  orders 
from  Mikveh.  The  colonists  were  not  at  liberty  to  take  any  initiative  what¬ 
soever  in  the  management  of  their  property.  The  result  was  that  matters 
were  neglected,  the  orders  of  Mikveh  arrived  late,  the  seeds  came  not  in 
time,  the  shipping  of  agricultural  implements  was  delayed,  and  for  all  these 
the  blame  was  shifted  on  the  settlers. 

This  new  autocracy  irritated  the  Rishonites  very  much  and  they  raised 
a  protest  to  the  administration,  but  it  was  of  no  avail.  Israel  Belkind,  a 
student  and  member  of  the  Bilu  organization,  had  in  a  letter  to  Paris  set 
forth  the  grievances  and  the  indignation  of  his  fellow  colonists  against  the 
administration.  This  letter  was  sent  back  from  Paris  to  Captain  Hirsh, 
who  came  early  one  morning  to  the  colony  very  much  enraged,  branding 
them  with  the  stigma  of  ‘‘Mendicants”  (beggars).  He  then  threatened  to 
withdraw  all  support  unless  young  Belkind  was  expelled  from  the  colony. 
This  the  Rishonites  promptly  refused  to  do.  Some  colonists  wanted  to 
make  an  end  to  all  this  strife  and  humiliation  by  leaving  the  colony,  while 
others  advised  patience.  Belkind,  however,  left  the  colony  of  his  own  ac¬ 
cord,  as  he  did  not  desire  that  all  should  suffer  on  his'  account. 


11  About  this  time  Monsieur  Venziani,  the  personal  representative  of  Baron  de  Hirsch, 
visited  the  colony.  To  a  delegation  of  colonists  who  came  to  solicit  the  interest  of  the 
Baron  in  Palestine  colonization  he  remarked:  “Soon  Michael  Erlanger  will  be  here,  and 
I  feel  certain  he  will  continue  the  work  he  began  in  the  colonies.  But  in  case  he  does  not, 
I  will  take  up  that  work  for  Baron  de  Hirsh.”  Erlanger  soon  arrived  from  Paris,  and 
announced  that  Baron  Edmond  intends  to  look  out  for  the  welfare  of  the  colony. 


RISHON  UZION  (AJUN  KARA) 


59 


This  act,  however,  did  not  pacify  the  Rishonites.  They  censured 
Hirsh  for  causing  all  this  disturbance  and  demanded  the  withdrawal  of 
Digur.  In  vain  did  Mr.  Erlanger  plead  with  them,  and  ineffectual  was  the 
appeal  of  Herr  Zemel,  of  Berlin ;  nothing  could  change  their  determination. 
They  decided  not  to  let  him  enter  the  colony.  Hirsh  finally  conceded  the 
demand  of  the  colonists  and  placed  another  teacher  of  his  school,  Joshua 
Osovesky,  a  young  Russian  Jew,  an  ex-comrade  of  the  Bilu,  as  director, 
His  headquarters  were  in  Rishon.  For  some  time,  things  passed  quietly; 
the  Rishonites,  who  were  opposed  to  wine  culture  as  the  main  product  of 
the  colony,  were  finally  converted  to  his  views.  They  were  given  to  under¬ 
stand  that  their  land  was  not  adaptable  for  wheat  culture.  He  gave  each 
one  the  privilege  of  attending  to  his  own  buying  and  promised  to  pay  well 
for  the  wine  and  products.  He  secured  title  to  3,000  D.  of  additional  land 
in  the  neighboring  village,  “Ein,”  and  sold  it  to  new  arrivals  from  Rus¬ 
sia  on  the  installment  plan.  The  wineyards  and  the  gardens  soon 
attracted  Jewish  pilgrims  to  Rishon  le  Zion.  32>  33 

With  the  growth  of  the  vineyards,  it  became  important  to  construct 
a  modern  wine  cellar,  and  this  was  quickly  provided  for  the  colony  by  the 
“Baron”  who  established  in  Rishon  one  of  the  finest  cellars  in  the  world. 

But  soon  conditions  in  Rishon  became  turbulent  again.  Joshua 
Osovesky  was  accused  by  some  of  showing  favoritism  and  of  unfair 
methods  in  conducting  the  affairs  of  the  settlement.  His  opponents 
organized  themselves  into  a  society  which  they  named  “Rodef  Shalom” 
(followers  of  peace)  ;  his  friends  then  constituted  themselves  into  a 
society  styled  “Agudath  Achim”  (United  Brotherhood).  The  main 
grievance  of  the  opponents  was  that  they  w.ere  deprived  of  the  privilege 
of  local  government. 

The  condition  of  affairs  was  still  more  aggravated  by  the  presence 
in  the  colony  of  a  scor.e  or  more  of  day  laborers  recently  arrived  from 
Russia,  most  of  whom  were  students  at  home  of  strong  revolutionary 
tendencies.  They  were  organized  under  the  nam,e  of  “Agudath  Hapo- 
alim”  (United  Workingmen).  This  new  organization  sided  with  the 
opponents  of  Osovesky.  The  latter  as  a  punishment  refused  work  to 
these  men,  and  Hirsh,  the  Director-in-chief,  ordered  their  expulsion  on 
the  ground  that  they  were  a  menace  to  the  welfare  of  the  colony.  In 

n  Haasif  vi  :37. 

**  Among  these  visitors  was  the  poet  Naphtali  Herz  Imber  (1886)  who  sojourned  in  Pal¬ 
estine  several  years,  most  of  the  time  he  lived  with  the  English  diplomat,  Laurence  Oliphant, 
on  Mt.  Carmel,  near  Haifa.  The  best  of  his  national  songs,  including  “Hatikvah,”  were 
written  in  Rishon  l’Zion.  His  poems  were  afterwards  published  in  book  form  under  the 
name  of  “Barkai”  in  Jerusalem.  (Luach  Achiasaf,  1898,  317.) 


60 


NEW  JUDEA 


answer  to  this  order  the  opposition  provided  a  free  kitchen  for  these 
young  laborers.  This  act  inflamed  the  director  intensely  and  he  ordered 
a  battalion  of  soldiers  to  oust  them.  The  opposition  and  the  day  labor¬ 
ers  fought  against  the  militia  and  did  not  permit  them  nor  the  Director 
to  enter  their  grounds.  Baron  Rothschild  hims,elf,  when  he  visited 
Rishon  at  that  time,  was  not  able  to  reconcile  these  factions.  Finally, 
Osovesky  was  obliged  to  resign  his  directorship. 

M.  A.  Bloch  was  next  placed  as  the  head  of  the  colony.  At  first 

they  thought  they  had  gained  a  point,  but  they  soon  discovered  that 
they  were  sadly  mistaken.  As  soon  as  the  new  Director  arrived  he  called 
together  the  colonists  and  urged  them  to  agree  to  the  following  con¬ 
ditions.  First,  the  colonists  should  relinquish  all  rights  as  owners  of 
property;  that  they  convey  the  property  to  the  management  as  security 
for  the  money  they  were  getting;  that  from  now  on,  th(e  colonists  were 
mere  laborers  and  must  obey  the  orders  of  the  administration  or  leave 
the  place.  Second,  that  no  one  be  allowed  to  admit  strangers  to  his 
house  without  the  permission  of  the  administration.  Third,  that  no  resi¬ 
dents  of  Rishon  have  the  right  to  join  organizations.  As  might  be 
expected,  the  colonists  flatly  refused  to  put  th(eir  signatures  to  such 
conditions.  The  new  chief  immediately  withdrew  all  financial  assist¬ 
ance  and  the  colonists  and  families  were  in  great  distress.  The  year 
1887  witnessed  the  gloomiest  days  in  the  history  of  the  colony.  They 
were  literally  on  the  verge  of  starvation,  but  would  not  submit  to  the 
request  of  the  new  director.  They  applied  for  assistance  in  Europe, 
but  they  met  with  rebuke  all  over.  Dr.  Leon  Pinsker,  in  a  letter, 
strongly  urged  upon  them  to  accept  the  demands  of  the  administration, 
for  their  stubbornness  not  only  did  injury  to  themselves  but  was  also 
harmful  to  the  entire  Zionist  movement,  as  the  Baron  would  lose  interest 
in  Palestine  and  the  colonization  in  general  would  suffer  on  account  of 
their  rebellious  action.  After  months  of  intense  suffering,  deprivation 
and  universal  condemnation,  they  finally  yielded  to  the  prescribed  con¬ 
ditions,  thereby  acknowledging  the  authority  of  the  administration. 

All  factional  fights  ceased  and  the  colonists  realized  once  for  all 
that  there  were  only  two  ways  open  for  them,  either  to  ob,ey  or  to  quit. 
To  obey  was  the  decision.  Thirteen  years  afterward  the  management 
of  the  colony  was  transferred  to  th,e  “Ika.”  The  manner  of  the  “Ika” 
administration  is  so  well  known  that  it  is  hardly  necessary  to  repeat 
it  here. 


A  GROUP  OF  AMERICAN  ZIONISTS  IN  THE  SHADOW  OF  THE 
PYRAMID  OF  GHIZEH  AND  THE  SPHINX,  CYIRO 

(See  Page  16) 


A  GROUP  OF  AMERICAN  ZIONISTS  AT  THE  BANK  OF  THE  NILE. 
THE  ISLAND  OF  RODA  IS  SEEN  IN  THE  DISTANCE 

i  (See  Page  12) 


REMOVING  WITHERED  BRANCHES  FROM  THE  VINYARD. 


TO  THE  THRESHING  FLOOR 

“And  the  threshing-  floors  shall  be  full  of  wheat  and  the  vats  shall  overflow 
with  wine  and  oil.”  (Joel  11:24.) 


(See  Page  81) 


RISHON  UZION  (AJUN  KARA) 


61 


Visiting  this  place  when  the  working  hours  are  over,  one  can  easily 
mistake  it  for  a  suburb  of  a  large  European  city.  From  ev.ery  house 
the  sound  of  a  piano  is  audible,  the  girls  and  women  are  dressed  in  fash¬ 
ion,  and  the  men  cannot  be  mistaken  for  tillers  of  the  soil. 

The  health  condition  of  the  colony  is  excellent.  The  proximity  to  the 
sea  furnishes  the  colony  with  a  refreshing  sea  breeze,  and  the  ample  vege¬ 
tation  makes  Rishon  a  delightful  place  of  residence  and  the  foremost  col¬ 
ony  in  Palestine ; — an  everlasting  monument  to  the  following  gentlemen : — 
Hirsh  Levontin,  Solomon  David  Levontin,  Hankin,  Frieman,  Eisenband, 
Eisman,  Abramowitz,  J.  Feinberg,  Israel  Feinberg  and  Herbert,  pioneer 
idealists  and  founders,  and  last  but  not  least,  to  that  munificent  Jew,  Baron 
Edmond  de  Rothschild,  who  has  brought  nearer  the  realization  of  the 
prophecy  of  Amos : 

“And  I  will  bring  again  the  captivity  of  my  people  Israel, 

And  they  shall  build  the  waste  cities  and  inhabit  them, 

And  they  shall  plant  vineyards  and  drink  the  wine  thereof, 

They  shall  also  make  gardens  and  eat  the  fruit  of  them.34 


M  Amos  i  :13. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


THE  TWIN  COLONY 

At  three  o’clock  in  the  afternoon  we  bade  “Shalom”  to  Rishon  V  Zion 
and  continued  our  journey  in  a  southeasterly  direction  to  the'  little  twin  col¬ 
ony,  “Vadi  el-Hanin”  (Valley  of  the  Lilies)  or  “Nes  Ziyyonah”  (Flag  of 
Zion.)  The  land  appeared  to  be  in  a  fairly  cultivated  condition.  Notwith¬ 
standing  the  hot  dry  season,  verdant  fields  were  seen  in  every  direction. 
Here  and  there  large  patches,  containing  reaped  barley  and  wheat  piled  up 
in  sheaves,  were  visible,  waving  fields  of  millet  and  sesame  (from  the  last  an 
oil  is  produced)  were  noticed  along  the  road ;  also  large  fields  of  lentils, 
called  in  Arabic  “Adas,”  evidently  esteemed  by  native  peasants  and  regard¬ 
ed  as  a  nourishing  food.1 

Pasture  land  containing  flocks  of  cattle  in  care  of  shepherds  armed 
with  guns  and  often  mounted  on  horses  and  donkeys  was  a  frequent  sight. 
But  no  farm-houses  were  in  view,  and  indeed  one  is  surprised  at  the  ab¬ 
sence  of  scattered  farm-life  in  Palestine.  The  native  fellahin,  like  the  Jew¬ 
ish  colonists,  segregate  themselves  into  villages.- 

The  cause  of  this  antagonism  to  rural  life  is  due  to  the  fact  that  the 
country  is  not  secure  enough  to  encourage  the  life  of  isolated  farming.  The 
modern  Nomads,  the  Bedouins,  have  for  hundreds  of  years  been  hostile  to 
the  native  Arab  population  (Hadari)  and  kept  them  in  constant  fear  of  rob¬ 
beries  and  night  attacks.  It  frequently  required  the  utmost  efforts  of  the 
government  to  protect  them.  The  Bedouins,2  children  of  the  desert, 
are  said  to  be  of  pure  Arab  blood  and  are  the  descendants  of  the  semi-sav¬ 
age  Nomads  who  have  inhabited  Arabia  from  time  immemorial.  They  are 
divided  into  two  branches,  those  .that  migrate  in  the  winter  towards  central 
Arabia,  and  those  that  remain  permanently  in  Syria.  The  first 
are  the  most  powerful  tribe  of  the  Bedouins.  Every  tribe  is  presided  over 
by  a  Sheikh.  War  occupies  much  of  the  time  of  these  tribes,  the  occasion 
being  quarrels  about  pasture  or  wells.  Complication  often  arises  through 
the  law  of  retaliation  which  is  in  practice  among  them.  They  possess  im- 

\  I*  Is  *he  same  as  Hebrew  “Adashim,”  which  Esau  bought  with  his  birthright  (Gen. 

XXV 

3  In  Hebrew  Kedar,  named  after  the  second  son  of  Ishmael  (Gen.  xxv:13). 

62 


THE  TWIN  COLONY 


63 


mense  herds  of  sheep  and  camels,  but  have  no  inclination  to  farming.  Their 
food  consists  chiefly  of  bread  and  milk.  They  have  made  very  little  pro¬ 
gress  in  the  past  thousands  of  years.  Their  mode  of  life  is  the  same,  their 
customs  are  identical  with  those  of  their  ancestors  of  thousands  of  years 
ago,  and  their  dwellings  consist  today,  as  in  the  days  of  Solomon,  of  por¬ 
table  tents,  the  material  being  of  close  texture  and  waterproof,  made  of 
black  goat  hair,  woven  by  the  Bedouin  women.3 

The  Bedouins  are  tall  and  well  built,  having  a  bronz(e  complexion, 
jet  black  hair,  a  slight  beard  and  black,  piercing  and  restless  eyes.  They 
are  dressed  in  whbe  or  blue  cotton  shirts  open  in  front  down  to  the 
waist,  and  a  leather  girdle  around  the  waist  adorned  with 
amulets  and  shells.  Neither  sex  wears  trousers.  On  the 
head  they  wear  a  gay  cotton  kerchief  bound  around  the  head  with  a  thick 
cord  of  camel’s  hair,  “Kephiyah.”  Part  of  the  h(ead-cloth  hangs  loosely 
over  the  back  of  the  head  and  neck  as  a  protection  from  the  sun.  They 
seldom  wear  shoes.  Such  are  the  people  that  roam  the  mountains  and 
valleys  of  ancient  Judea.  The  tourist,  however,  finds  the  intruders 
harmless,  and  their  nomadic  life  of  peculiar  interest. 

Our  little  party,  inspired  with  the  general  conditions  of  this  dis¬ 
trict,  sang  Jewish  airs  all  along  the  way.  Even  Ibrahim,  the  Arab 
coachman,  appeared  to  have  been  pleased,  for  in  the  highest  pitch  of  his 
tremulous  voice  he  participated  in  t,he  chorus  when  it  came  to  the 
stanza  “Od  lo  ab’da  tikvatenu.”  He  was  so  much  absorbed  in  the  Jew¬ 
ish  national  songs  that  he  would  almost  have  passed  the  Twin  Colony 
if  it  had  nor  been  for  the  puffing  of  a  little  gasoline  engine  on  the  way- 
side  near  Nes  Ziyyonah,  that  brought  his  horses  to  a  sudden  halt.4  In 
vain  shouted  Ibrahim,  “Yalla!  Yalla!”  (quick)  to  his  beasts  to  make  a 
move.  He  changed  his  Hebrew  tune  to  an  Arabic  melody,  presumably 
thinking  that  the  sudden  change  in  his  horses  was  because  these  Ori¬ 
entals  were  not  in  favor  of  Hebrew  national  airs,  but  it  was  of  no  avail. 
They  positively  refused  to  go — 

This  engine  that  scared  Ibrahim’s  beasts  and  refused  to  carry  us 
to  the  colony  was  operated  by  a  young  man  named  David  Ratner,  who 
had  recently  arrived  from  Russia.  He  purchased  50  D.  land  near  Nes 
Ziyyonah  and  was  now  breaking  the  ground  for  an  orange  grove.  His 

3  “I  am  black  but  comely,  Oh  ye  daughters  of  Jerusalem,  as  the  tents  of  Kedar” — 
(Song  of  Songs,  1:5.) 

4  “They  turned  aside  out  of  the  way,”  like  Balaam’s  ass,  and  would  not  go  towards 
the  colony. 


64 


NEW  JUDEA 


plough  was  connected  to  the  .engine  by  means  of  wire  ropes.  Thus  we 
see  that  even  in  ancient  Judea  mechanical  force  is  quickly  taking  the 
place  of  animal  power.  We  left  Ibrahim  arguing  with  his  horses  and 
reached  the  colony  on  foot. 

Wadi  el-Hanin,  as  its  Arabic  nam,e  indicates,  is  situated  in  a  valley, 
and,  unlike  many  other  colonies,  it  is  well  supplied  with  water;  one  has 
to  dig  only  a  few  meters  to  find  a  well.  A  large  number  of  such  wells  are 
found  in  the  colony.  The  soil,  owing  to  the  ample  supply  of  water,  is 
very  productive  and  well  suited  for  vegetable  gardens  and  other  plants 
that  thrive  best  under  abundant  irrigation.  Vegetables  such  as  potatoes, 
turnips,  beets,  tomatoes,  watermelons,  onions,  garlic,  cabbage,  lettuce, 
cauliflower,  radishes,  cucumbers,  egg-plants,  peas  and  beans, 
thrive  splendidly  here  and  yield  a  crop  twice  a  year.  A  large  garden 
containing  tropical  and  other  plants  adorns  this  settlement.  Wadi-el- 
Hanin  is  well  shaded  with  many  fruit  trees  such  as  the  olive  and  apple. 
Formerly  the  wine  was  the  main  source  of  their  income.  The  chief 
products  now  are  grapes,  oranges,  almonds  and  honey.  The  oranges 
here  have  the  reputation  of  being  the  best  in  Palestine;  they  are  large, 
sweet  and  juicy.  Since  the  colonists  began  to  cultivate  a  variety  of 
products,  their  condition  has  materially  improved.5 

Several  rows  of  modern  structures  well  shaded  and  surrounded  by 
gardens  occupy  a  most  conspicuous  position  on  the  uppermost  part  of 
the  hill  belonging  to  Nes  Ziyyonah.  These  houses  were  built  by  the 
Jewish  Colonization  Association.  Owing  to  its  close  proximity  to  larger 
colonies,  it  do.es  not  possess  as  many  communal  institutions  as  the  other 
colonies.  It  has,  however,  a  splendid  school,  which  is  divided  into  four 
grades,  a  kindergarten  and  a  house  of  worship.  A  building  formerly 
used  as  a  dwelling  place  for  colonists  and  their  families,  is  now  used  as 
a  Beth  ’Am  (Town  Hall).  In  this  building  is  the  seat  of  the  Va’ad 
Hamoshabah  (Town  Council),  which,  in  conjunction  with  the  manage¬ 
ment  of  the  “Ika,”  directs  the  affairs  of  the  colony. 

Wadi-el  Hanin  was  founded  by  Reuben  Lehrer,  a  wealthy  merchant 
of  Kherson,  Russia,  who  being  moved  by  the  anti- Jewish  riots  prevailing  in 
his  country  in  the  year  1882,  placed  all  his  possessions  on  public  sale  and 
came  to  Palestine  the  latter  part  of  the  summer  of  the  same  year,  and  on 

5  The  arabs  have  a  tradition  that  in  this  wadi  were  once  hundreds  of  large  orangeries, 
wherein  grew  the  sweetest  variety  of  flowers,  hence  its  name,  “Valley  of  the  Lilies.”  Many 
old  wells  and  relics  of  ancient  groves  corroborate  the  tradition.  Lehrer,  however,  found  one 
grove  of  60  D.  and  an  old  Arab  Khan. 


THE  TWIN  COLONY 


65 


the  25th  of  April  5540,  established  himself  in  Wadi-el  Hanin;  hence  this 
colony  is  sometimes  known  as  Nachalath  Reuben,  after  its  founder.* * * 6 

He  divided  the  land  into  parts  and  sold  it  to  several  families  from  Rus¬ 
sia  who  settled  there. 

Among  the  purchasers  was  Abraham  Yalubsky,  who  met  with  a  tragic 
death  at  his  little  cottage  near  the  khan.  He  was  attacked  in  the  dark  of 
the  night  of  the  10th  Tebeth,  5649  (1889)  and  was  murdered  by  Arabs  of 
the  neighboring  villages.  The  violent  death  of  their  comrade  threw  a  gloom! 
over  the  colony  resulting  in  an  exodus  to  Jaffa.  Only  four  families  remain¬ 
ed  there.  Of  those  that  remained,  mention  should  be  made  of  a  pioneer 
woman,  the  fearless  Widow  Goldie  Miluslowsky  who,  braving  all  sorts  of 
hazardous  difficulties,  stuck  to  her  farm  and  worked  with  a  zeal  equaled  by 
few  men. 

The  most  noted  of  the  group  that  joined  Lehrer’s  colony  was  Aaron 
Eisenberg,  at  present  head  of  the  Agudath  N’taim.  He  brought  into  the 
new  village  life  and  hope  and  was  the  guiding  spirit  of  the  colony.  He 
bought  of  Lehrer  a  tract  of  land  and  sold  it  to  a  company  of  twelve  men 
who  worked  in  Nes  Zionah.  From  the  profits  he  erected  a  large  building 
to  be  used  as  a  dwelling  for  the  colonists  and  their  families  (this  structure 
is  now  the  Beth  ’Am).  The  dedication  of  this  public  hospice  took  place 
one  day  during  Hanukah  week.  It  was  a  double  eremony.  The  “Brith 
Milah”  of  his  son  Karmi,  the  first  child  born  in  the  colony,  took  place  on  the 
same  day.7 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  rebirth  of  the  Jewish  flag  is  traceable 
to  that  day  and  to  the  colony  Nes  Zionah.  On  that  occasion  the  well  known 
Zionist,  Michael  Heilprin,  unfurled  the  Jewish  flag.8 

Fie  was  on  a  visit  to  Palestine  and  was  a  guest  of  Eisenberg  that  day, 
and  while  the  crowd  were  jolly  over  the  double  celebration,  Heilprin  quietly 
walked  in  and  displayed  the  white  and  blue  flag  with  the  star  of  David  at 
the  centre. 8b 


(G)  The  estate  was  the  property  of  'a  member  of  the  German  Temple  Society,  and 

consisted  of  1968  D.  of  arable  land,  part  of  which  was  cultivated — one  orange  grove,  an 

old  Arab  Kahn  and  a  primitive  barn.  Reuben  Lehrer  obtained  this  farm  in  exchange  for 

one  he  possessed  in  Bessarabia. 

(7)  Karmi  Eisenberg  is  now  the  only  Jewish  officer  of  high  rank  in  the  Turkish  army. 

(8)  Michael  Heilprin  owned  a  large  orange  grove  in  Nes  Zionah,  which  he  bought 
from  Eisenberg.  Barziiai,  Hashiloach  xxxi :  60. 

8b  The  idea  of  the  Jewish  flag  was/  probably  taken  from  the  Talith,  which  has  a  white 
field  and  dark  blue  stripes.  The  writer  noticed  many  Arab  shepherds  wrapped  in  a 
cloth  resembling  the  Talith,  while  guarding  their  flocks.  The  Talith  has  probably  a 
national  rather "  than  a  religious  significance.  It  was  worn  by  the  shepherd  tribes  in 
Palestine,  and  as  in  many  other  things,  the  modern  Arab  still  preserves  the  ancient  cus¬ 
tom  his  ancestors  have  learned  from  or  possessed  in  common  with  their  Israelitish  neigh¬ 
bors. 


66 


NEW  JUDEA 


The  early  experiences  of  these  settlers  were  anything  but  encouraging. 
In  1892-93,  or  after  ten  years  of  hard  and  energetic  labor,  of  deprivation 
and  illness,  they  had  almost  nothing  to  show ;  no  houses,  no  schools,  no  cat¬ 
tle,  no  proper  agricultural  implements,  nothing  to  inspire  hope  in  them. 

Their  land,  while  well  watered  and  good  for  agricultural  purposes, 
was  not  fit  for  habitation ;  it  was  too  low,  impregnated  with  the  miasma 
of  malaria  and  other  diseas.es.  They  were  poverty-stricken  and  there 
could  be  no  question  of  buying  land  on  the  neighboring  hills  for  the 
purpose  of  building.  The  entire  population  of  the  colony  was  hemmed 
in  in  three  stone  huts,  and  owing  to  the  overcrowding,  they  wer.e  occu¬ 
pied  only  during  the  rainy  and  cold  season.  At  other  times  they  lived 
in  the  open  fields,  the  gleaming  lights  of  the  Bedouin  t,ents  keeping 
them  awake  at  night  for  fear  of  attacks.  Of  the  twenty-two  original 
settlers,  only  eleven  remained ;  the  others,  facing  starvation,  left  for  the 
nearby  colonies,  where  they  obtained  work. 

The  spring  of  1892  is  well  remembered  by  th,e  residents  of  Wadi- 
el-Hanin  as  the  most  crucial  period  of  their  lives.  After  they  had  en¬ 
dured  a  winter  of  illness,  great  want  and  privation,  the  spring  found 
them  too  poor  to  buy  seeds  and  other  necessary  articles.  It  was  very 
late  in  the  season  when  they  secured  some  assistance  from  the  Odessa 
Committee.  The  entire  colony,  men,  women  and  children,  turned  out 
on  the  fields  in  order  to  make  up  for  the  time  lost.  The  possibility  of 
success  brightened  their  spirits,  and  they  wer.e  at  once  transformed  from 
a  state  of  inactivity  and  helplessness  to  a  condition  of  hopefulness  and 
industry.  Three  more  houses  were  built  that  very  summer,  more  wells 
were  dug,  and  a  teacher  was  secured  for  the  children.  Permanent  help 
soon  reached  them  through  the  Jewish  Colonization  Association,  who 
expended  the  sum  of  125,000  frcs.  ($25,000)  to  put  Wadi  el-Hanin  on  a 
sound  basis.  Those  that  left  the  settlement  and  had  no  desire  to  return 
were  paid  for  their  investment,  and  sixteen  new  families  were  established 
on  their  places. 

About  the  same  time  a  number  of  Russian  immigrants  secured  title  to 
the  hilly  land  surrounding  Wadi-el  Hanin  and  named  it  “Nes  Zivyonah.” 
They  erected  a  number  of  cottages  on  the  highest  point  of  their  land,  and 
granted  permission  to  their  neighbors  in  the  valley  to  build  their  homes  at 
the  top  of  the  hill,  so  that  at  present  the  entire  village  is  located  on  a  high 
level  and  may  be  seen  from  a  distance.  A  school  house  was  soon  erected 
and  a  house  of  worship  dedicated.  The  Twin  colony  entered  upon  a  new 
era,  to  them  truly  an  era  of  prosperity.9 


'.Ofv/oi  Th^i  1?ro'vth ,  of  Wadi-el  Hanin,  however,  began  with  the  founding  of  Keohoboth, 

1890-91,  and  with  the  development  of  Rishon  and  Ekron  . 


THE  TWIN  COLONY 


67 


Th,e  population  of  the  Twin  colony  is  245,  consisting  of  forty-four 
families,  including  those  that  dwell  here  in  frame  houses  erected  by 
the  Ika — though  working  elsewhere.  The  land  area  was  1568  D.  when 
purchased,  of  which  the  villagers  of  Suraf,end  robbed  them  of  150  D. 
which  they  could  not  recover.  Now  the  land  area  is  2794  D.,  planted 
with  various  fruits.10  The  balance  is  pasture  land  i* 11 

Reuben  Lehrer  and  his  three  sons,  who  now  form  four  families, 
occupy  themselves  with  apiculture  (bee  culture).  They  possess  several 
hundred  bee  hives,  and  their  product  finds  a  ready  market  in  the  large 
cities  of  Europe  and  America.  Their  net  profits  from  the  sale  of  honey 
were  in  1909  $3500.  Th.e  bee  industry  does  not  depend  so  much  upon 
the  bee  as  upon  the  quantity  and  quality  of  flowers  surrounding  these 
hives.  The  nectaries  of  these  fragrant  plants  made  Palestine  “a  land  flow¬ 
ing  with  honey.” 

Palestine  today,  as  in  the  days  of  old,  is  the  home  of  an  amazing 
wealth  of  flowers.  Some  observers  have  discovered  as  many  as  fifty  dif¬ 
ferent  varieties  within  an  area  of  one  square  Dunam  of  land.  The 
native  farmers  call  these  flow.ers  “weeds,”  but  some  of  them  are  such 
weeds  as  would  be  eagerly  received  by  any  of  our  conservatories.  “It 
is  not  necessary  for  one  to  be  a  botanist  or  to  have  the  taste  of  an 
artist  in  order  to  appreciate  the  splendor  of  colors  of  the  Palestinian 
flowers,”  said  a  recent  traveler,  “such  a  mixture  as  white,  red,  yellow, 
pink,  scarlet,  purple,  lavender  and  green,  all  the  colors  of  the  rainbow 
clustered  together  within  a  small  space.”12 


(10)  Oranges  .  848  D. 

Almonds  .  420  D. 

Vine  .  650  D. 

Olives  .  70  D. 

Other  trees  .  50  D. 

...  -  2038 


(11)  More  land  was  purchased  by  the  Geulah,  through  Mr,  Dizenhoff,  from  Arabs  that 
lived  near  the  colony. 

(12)  It  is  well  known  to  botanists  that  Palestine  is  the  meeting  place  of  the  flora  of  three 
different  continents,  and  this  circumstance  combined  with  the  varied  altitudes  produces  a 
condition  most/  favorable  to  bee  culture.  Some  years  ago  the  two  brothers,  Baldensperger, 
living  in  Jaffa  went  into  the  apiary  business.  They  conceived  the  idea  of  furnishing  the 
bees  with  material  for  honey  making  throughout  the  eight  months  of  the  year  by  camping 
first  at  a  low  altitude  and  when  the  flowers  of  that  locality  were  finished,  moving  the  hives 
on  camel-back  to  a  higher  place,  thus  following  up  the  consecutive  blossoming  of  differ¬ 
ent  wild  flowers.  They  first  let  them  work  on  the  orange  blossoms  around  Jaffa,  and 
thia  fragrant  honey  was  kept  separate,  as  was  that  obtained,'  from  each  succeeding  flower 
which  pervaded  any  particular  district.  Thus  they  were  able  to  label  their  honey  “Orange 
Blossom,”  “Thyme,”  etc. 

The  data  furnished  by  these  gentlemen  show  a  yield  exceeding  that  yet  known  int  any 
other  country.  By  using  modern  American  extracting  machinery  and  replacing  the  combs, 
one  hundred  hives  produced  six  tons  of  honey  during  eight  months.  That  is  120  pounds 
to  the  hive.  The  average  yield  in  Australia  and  America  is  30  pounds  to  each  hive,  and 
the  maximum  50.  From  these  facts  it  is  clear  that}  this  unique  land  is  possessed  of  great 
natural  advantages  over  other  lands,  not  only  in  ordinary  agricultural  possibilities,  but 
in  this  interesting  matter  of)  producing  honey. 


68 


NEW  JUDEA 


Standing  amongst  these  bee-hives  in  a  field  of  fragrant  flowers  of  the 
most  exquisite  hue  and  luxurious  odor,  and  seeing  from  some  distant  hill¬ 
side,  flocks  of  milk-producing  sheep  and  goats,  one  is  animated  with  the 
thought  that  Palestine  is  becoming  again  “a  land  flowing  with  milk  and 
honey.”13-14 


(13)  The  Palestinian  honey  is  white,  very  granular,  highly  aromatic  and  pleasant  to 
taste.  It  is  an  indispensable  article  of  food,  and  is  served  like  butter  with  every  meal. 
The  wax  of  the  honey  is  used  to  make  tapers  and  candies.  Honey  with  milk  is  served,  as 
food  for  children  (Isa.  vii:15-22;  I  Sam.  xiv:27). 

(14)  In  ancient  times  honey  was  of  very  great  importance  as  an  article  of  food,  be¬ 
ing  almost  the  only  available  source  of  sugar  (Ex.  xvi,  31).  It  wast  also  valued  as  a  medi¬ 
cinal  agent  (Sam.  x:16;  Ber.  44b;  SabJ  76b;  154b;  B.  Iv.  38a).  The  Mohammedans  use  it 
even  now  as  a  laxative  and  as  a  stimulant.  The  Koran,  in  the  chapter,  “The  Bee,”  re¬ 
marks  :  There  proceeds  from  their  bellies  a  liquid  of  various  dolors,  wherein  is  a  medi¬ 
cine  for  men  (Koran  Ch.  16). 

Honey  sometimes  denotes  artificial  honey,  prepared  from  the  juice  of  certain  fruits 
(Num.  xiii  :27 ;  Ex.  iii:8;  Jer.  xi:5;  Ezek.  xx:6.)  Such  honey  is  still  in  use  among  the  Arabs 
and  is  known  as  “dibs.”  *  .  »  i  j 


CHAPTER  X. 


RECHOBOTH  (SHAARAYIM)1 

We  set  out  for  Rechoboth  late  in  the  afternoon.  Not  a  cloud  marred 
the  purplish  blue  sky.  The  sun  was  setting  upon  the  western  hills  of  Judea. 
We  crossed  the  plain  of  Sharon,  approaching  the  upper  part  of  the  Shephe- 
lah,  towards  the  plateau,  the  most  fertile  part  of  Judea.  This  plateau  is 
about  twelve  miles  wide  and  forty-five  miles  long,  extending  from  the  vale 
of  Ajalon  in  the  North  to  Gaza  in  the  South. 

Ibrahim  was  in  good  humor  and  indulged  in  Arabic  melodies,  which 
sound  to  the  Western  ear  more  like  a  plaintive  declamation  than  a  song. 
One,  however,  who  is  familiar  with  the  traditional  music  of  the  Jew,  es¬ 
pecially  of  Asia  and  Eastern  Europe,  at  once  recognizes  a  similarity  in  the 
music  of  the  Arab  and  that  of  his  cousin  the  Jew,  a  point  which 
ethnologists  who  deny  the  Semitic  origin  of  the  modern  Jew,  may  take  cog¬ 
nizance  of. 

It  was  twilight,  and  the  Rechobites  were  returning  from  their  day’s 
toil  in  the  fields,  hailing  us  cordially  as  our  carriage  took  ' us  to  the  modest 
little  inn.  On  the  way  we  passed  two  encampments  where  several  white 
tents  were  pitched,  around  which  were  frolicking  children  and  women  en¬ 
gaged  in  preparing  the  evening  meal.  These  were  not  the  camps  of  hostile 
Bedouins  nor  of  friendly  tourists.  They  were  the  homes  of  Jewish  labor¬ 
ers  who  had  recently  arrived  from  Yemen,  and  of  native  Jewish  working 
men  (Frankists),  who  had  come  here  to  work  during  the  busy  season.  The 
men  having  just  returned  from  work,  gathered  into  two  respective  bodies 
with  their  faces  toward  Jerusalem,  in  their  customary  evening  prayers.  It 
was  indeed  a  very  inspiring  spectacle  to  see  these  poverty-stricken  and  spir¬ 
itually  crushed  Yemenite  Jews  at  prayers.  Their  services  were  impressive. 
There  was  nothing  artificial  about  these  worshippers ;  their  prayers  came 
from  the  innermost  soul  of  a  people  who  were  persecuted  for  centuries  in 
their  native  land,  and  their  very  countenances  bore  the  effect  of  ages  of  op¬ 
pression.  The  Jews  of  Yemen  have  at  all  times  had  to  suffer  much  from 
the  native  population,  but  their  present  state,  especially  in  North  Yemen,  is 

harder  than  ever.  (Note  7.). 

7  The  Arabic  name  is  Duran  or  Taran,  the  plural  of  Tara,  a  gate  (Josh.  xv:36). 

69 


70 


NEW  JUDEA 


In  this  connection  it  is  of  interest  to  note  that  the  Yemenite  Jews 
have  a  tradition  that  they  originate  from  a  celebrated  family  of  Judea 
who  left  their  homeland  before  the  destruction  of  the  First  Temple 
because  of  their  strong  belief  in  the  prophecy  of  Jeremiah,  “He  that 
abideth  in  the  city  shall  die  by  the  sword,  and  by  the  famine  and  by 
the  pestilence . ”8 

They  went  through  the  Arabian  desert  and  settled  in  Sanaa-Yemen. 
There  they  lived  in  perfect  freedom  until  Ezra,  the  Scribe,  at  the  head 
of  the  Babylonian  exiles,  returned  to  Jerusalem.  Ezra  issued  a  call  to 
the  Judeans  of  Yemen  to  return  to  the  land  of  their  fathers,  but  because 
they  knew  that  it  was  not  a  permanent  redemption,  they  refused  to 
follow  the  lead  of  the  Scribe.  Thereupon  Ezra  cursed  them,  saying, 
“They  should  find  no  rest  among  the  nations  among  whom  they  dwelt.” 
Since  then  they  were  oppressed. 

This  belief  is  strongly  rooted  among  the  Jews  of  Yemen  and  there 
are  some  whose  antipathy  toward  the  Scribe  is  such  that  they  still  will 
not  name  their  sons  Ezra.  They  believe  that  Ezra  for  his  malediction 
was  punished  and  he  died  in  Persia  near  Basra.  (Benjamin  of  Tudela 
gives  the  burial  place  of  Ezra  as  Sambra,  Persia;  Josephus,  on  the  other 
hand,  states  that  he  died  in  Jerusalem.)* 4 

They  have  another  tradition  that  at  one  time  a  Jewish  King,  by 
name  Joseph  Dhu  Nowas,  ruled  over  Yemen,  but  since  Mohammed  con¬ 
quered  Sanaa,  th(e  capital  of  Yemen,  they  lost  their  prestige;  and  their 
life  in  the  last  1300  years  has  been  miserable. 

To  them,  indeed,  Palestine  appears  “a  land  enjoying  the  blessing 
of  God,”  and  “a  land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey.”  These  good  pteople 
are  very  energetic,  frugal  and  conscientious  laborers,  who  have  pre¬ 
served  in  all  their  purity  in  distant  Yemen  the  old  Jewish  virtues  of 
deep  piety  and  scrupulous  morality.  They  are  content  to  live  a  simple 
life,  and  they  can  compete  with  Arab  labor  in  bidding  for  work  at  the 
hands  of  their  Ashkenazic  brethren.  From  a  national  and  economic 
point  of  view  they  form  a  valuable  asset  to  Jewish  colonization,  consti¬ 
tuting  the  best  labor  material  for  Jewish  settlements  whose  honesty  and 
intelligence  can  be  depended  upon.  The  colonists  have  since  built  per¬ 
manent  quarters  in  their  midst  for  the  Yemenite  Jews. 

After  the  services  were  over  general  hand-shaking  and  greetings  in 


s  Jer.  xxi  :9. 

(4)  Early  Travels  in  Palestine,  p.  113,  Bohn’s  Series. 


RECHOBOTH  SHAARAYIM 


71 


the  old  Jewish  fashion  followed.  In  the  most  familiar  terms  w,e  were 
asked  how  we  were,  and  all  in  the  Hebrew  tongue.  On  parting  we 
were  saluted  with  the  Oriental  farewell,  pointing  the  right  hand  toward 
the  head,  eyes  and  mouth,  and  ending  with  “Shalom.” 

We  left  our  new  friends  and  went  on  to  the  inn,  where  we  found  din¬ 
ner  ready.  It  was  a  genuine  Palestinian  menu ;  “milk  and  honey”  was 
plentiful.  It  also  contained,  however,  much  to  satisfy  Western  taste. 

In  the  evening  we  paid  our  respects  to  Herr  Aaron  Eisenberg,  head  of 
the  “Agudath  ha  Notim”  (Society  of  planters).  The  night  was  full  of 
color,  the  moonlight  was  so  brilliant  that  it  was  easy  to  read  the  smallest 
type  of  a  guide  book.  It  is  difficult  to  picture  a  moonlight  scene  of  Pales¬ 
tine.  Here  the  moon  reflects  to  the  eye  impressions  of  dark  and  light  spots 
only,  but  in  Palestine  the  moonlight  shows  all  the  colors  of  the  rainbow,  the 
blue  sky,  the  green  trees,  the  red  tiles  on  the  roofs,  and  gray  mountains  from 
the  distance.  Even  the  stars  twinkle  brighter,  and  on  a  moonless  night  one 
can  read  clearly  the  face  of  his  watch  by  the  star  light. 

It  was  a  glorious  evening ;  there  was  a  fine,  cooling  breeze  wafted  over 
the  land  from  the  west,  a  Mediterranean  breeze.  The  leaves  on  the  trees 
were  rustling  gently  over  our  heads  whispering  to  us  in  pleasant  secrecy. 
Along  the  streets  the  Hebrew  dialect,  the  language  of  Moses  and  Isaiah, 
was  audible  as  spoken  by  parties  of  young  folks  passing  us.  The  scene  was 
animating,  and  the  picture  recalled  to  the  mind  that  of  Solomon  and  Shula- 
mith  on  the  mountain  of  Bether.5 

To  our  sorrow  we  found  Herr  Eisenberg  ill.  Illness,  however,  did  not 
prevent  this  splendid  idealist  from  offering  us  his  hospitality  and  valuable 
information.  On  our  return,  the  owner  of  a  vineyard  invited  us  to  accom¬ 
pany  him  to  his  yard.  To  avoid  the  danger  of  being  shot  at  by  the  watch¬ 
man  (“shomer”)  the  proprietor  and  watchman  exchanged  signals  beford 
we  entered  the  garden.  The  post  of  watchman  (shomer)  was  always  con¬ 
sidered  in  Palestine  an  important  one,  for  it  required  courage,  wit  and  sound 
judgment  in  order  to  frighten  marauders  off  without  shedding  blood.  When 
the  fruit  begins  to  ripen  the  owners  build  a  tent,  booth  or  watch  tower. 
The  one  we  observed  was  a  watch  tower  and  consisted  of  four  poles  sup¬ 
porting  a  platform  sufficiently  raised  to  escape  the  damp  and  to  enable  the 
watchman  to  see  all  over  the  grove,  having  a  roof  of  green  branches  to  pro- 

(5)  “Until  the  day  break 

And  the  shadows  flee  away, 

Turn  my  beloved  and;  be  thou  like  a  roe, 

Or  a  young:  hart  upon  the  mountain 
Of  Bether.”— Songs  ii,  17. 


72 


NEW  JUDEA 


tect  him  from  the  burning-  sun  of  the  day  and  the  falling  dew  at  night. 
Here  the  watchman  sits  day  and  night.  In  the  vineyards  a  double  watch 
has  to  be  placed  against  jackals,  foxes  and  hares.  The  first  two  are  very 
fond  of  grapes  and  can  destroy  the  largest  vineyard  in  a  short  time.  Large 
numbers  o’f  jackals  frequently  attack  a  vineyard  at  night.  The  mournful 
cry  of  the  jackal  is  sure  to  call  the  attention  of  the  “shomer,”  who  drives 
these  intruders  away  by  the  shot  of  a  gun  or  the!  noise  produced  by  striking 
two  pieces  of  brass  or  other  metal.  Thus  said  Solomon :  “The  little  foxes 
that  spoil  the  vines,  for  our  vines  have  tender  grapes.”0 

On  large  vineyards  it  is  common  to  employ  a  negro  as  a  watcher,  for 
the  Palestinian  peasant  stands  in  peculiar  awe  of  the  black  stranger.  Until 
recently  only  Arabs  were  employed  in  the  Jewish  colonies  as  guardians,  for 
the  Jew  lacked  strength  and  courage  for  the  guardianship  of  property  against 
the  treacherous5  natives.  In  many  instances  the  Arab  watchmen  were  notor¬ 
ious  thieves  and  they  were  employed  for  that  reason  as  the  best  men  to 
deal  with  thieves.  Very  often  they  joined  hands  with  a  band  of  robbers  to 
loot  the  property  they  were  watching.  But  of  late  Jewish  young  men  have 
begun  to  take  the  places  of  Arabs  as  watchmen. 

After  the  crops  are  gathered  the  tent  or  lodge  is  left  to  the  rain  and 
storms  of  the  winter,  and  it  presents  a  peculiar,  forsaken  and  deserted 
aspect  so  characteristically  described  by  the  Prophet.6 7 

We  rose  early  next  morning  to  get  a  view  of  the  Colony  and  its  sur¬ 
roundings  before  the  sun  was  high.  The  air  was  fresh  and  invigorating, 
the  birds  sang  clearly  high  over  our  heads.  The  damp  sand  along  the  road 
was  delicately  imprinted  with  the  track  of  birds  and  the  grass  was  deco¬ 
rated  with  glistening  beads  of  dew.  We  visited  the  S. -  family,  for¬ 
merly  residents  of  Chicago.  Mr.  S. -  lived  many  years  in  the  United 

States.  Two  years  previously  he  retired  from  business,  left  the  tumultu¬ 
ous  city  and  came  with  his  family  to  live  the  simple  life.  Here  he  pur¬ 
chased  land,  erected  a  modern  home  and  is  about  to  begin  work  on  an 
orange  grove  He  also  contracted  to  build  water  works  for  Rechoboth,  for 
which  the  colony  granted  him  the  franchise  for  twenty-five  years,  an  invest¬ 
ment  that  pays  fully  seven  per  cent,  per  annum.  We  called  upon  Mr. 

S. - ,  believing  that  the  information  we  would  receive  from  an  American 

business  man  would  be  valuable  to  us  in  America. 

Mr.  S. -  expressed  his  contentment  with  the  life  of  Palestine  in 

(6)  Songs  ii,  5. 

(7)  “And  the  daughter  of  Zion  is  left  as  a  cottage  in  the  vineyard,  as  a  lodget  in  a 
garden  of  cucumbers.” — Isa.  i,  8. 


RECHOBOTH 


73 


general  and  that  of  Rechoboth  in  particular.  His  daughter,  a  pretty  bru¬ 
nette  of  eighteen  American  by  birth,  shared  his  views  in  all  particulars. 

“Palestine,”  said  Mr.  S. - ,  “is  in  great  need  of  capital,  and  cannot 

be  considered  at  present  an  ideal  land  for  poor  immigrants.  In  order  to 
make  way  for  general  immigration,  our  capitalists  must  come  first  and  make 
their  investments  here,  create  industries,  develop  its  resources,  and  prepare 
work  for  the  less  fortunate  newcomers.  There  are  great  opportunities  for 
good  business  men  to  make  profitable  investments.  The  East  is  rapidly 
awakening  and  the  markets  are  growing  larger  daily.  I  would  not  advise 
Americans  to  come  here  unless  they  possess  $5000.  Of  course,  there  may 
be  exceptions  to  this  rule,  here  as  anywhere  else ;  one  may  do  more  with  a 
smaller  sum  than  another  with  a  larger  sum.  It  takes  six  years  before  plan¬ 
tations  will  yield  fruit,  and  in  the  meantime  one  must  live  six  years  without 
any  income.  A  smaller  capital  will  do  if  suitable  land  can  be  gotten  for 
agricultural  purposes  and  especially  if  one  is  a  trained  farmer. 

“To  illustrate  what  money  can  do  here  in  the  farming  line,”  he  con¬ 
tinued,  “come  and  see  Minkoff’s  Bayare’’  (orange  plantation).  And  so 

speaking,  we  left  Mr.  S. - ’s  home  and  followed  him  to  see  one  of  the 

largest  orange  groves  in  Palestine.  We  walked  about  a  mile,  wading 
through  sand  above  cur  shoe  tops.  The  sun  was  already  high  and  walk¬ 
ing  through  hot  sand  was  like  walking  on  fire,  or,  rather,  between  two 
fires,  the  sun  above  and  the  sand  below.  We  were,  indeed,  glad  to  reach 
Minkoff’s  “bayare,”  and  accept  his  hospitality.  His  plantation  appeared  to 
us  like  a  paradise.  We  sat  in  the  shadow  of  a  tree,  admiring  the  magnitude 
of  his  irrigation  plant,  the  largenumber,  and  the  great  variety  of  trees  and 
their  splendid  arrangement.  The  water  is  brought  up  to  a  high,  magnificent 
reservoir  from  a  well  twenty  meters  deep,  by  means  of  an  engine,  whence 
water  is  distributed  through  iron  and  clay  tubes  into  every  part  of  the 
grove,  which  is  situated  on  a  slope. 

Minkoff’s  “bayare”  was  only  five  years  old ;  that  was  the  first  year  it 
yielded  fruit.  The  sale  of  the  crops,  as  calculated  by  the  owner,  will  pay 
for  labor,  but  Mr.  Minkoff  anticipates  an  income  of  60,000  frcs.  ($12,000) 
annually  in  due  course  of  time.  So  far,  200,000  frcs.  ($40,000)  have  been 
expended  to  change  the  bare  and  sandy  hills  into  the  finest  plantation  in 
Palestine. 

On  our  return  through  the  burning  sand  we  did  not  mind  the  heat 
so  much,  for  the  sand  appeared  much  cooler.  We  were  thinking  of  Mink¬ 
off’s  “bayare,”  planted  in  this  soil,  and  were  convinced  that  this  sand  has  a 


74 


NEW  JUDEA 


great  future.  We  returned  to  the  colony,  coming  through  the  main  street, 
a  wide  avenue  having  at  each  side  a  long  row  of  mulberry  trees  partly 
concealing  a  line  of  one-story  stone  houses  of  modern  design  and  sur¬ 
rounded  by  green  lawns  and  numerous  plants. 

The  average  colonist  of  Rechoboth  is  said  to  possess  120  D.  of  land, 
out  of  which  a  plot  of  ground  ranging  (from  £0  to  25  D.  is  put  aside  for 
necessary  buildings  such  as  barns,  stables,  sheds,  for  vegetable  and  fruit 
gardens.  Each  household  possesses  at  least  one  horse,  cattle  and  poultry, 
furnishing  the  best  indication  that  the  colonists  have  the  true  spirit  of  the 
farmer. 

The  chief  revenue  of  Rechoboth  is  from  the  cultivation  of  the  vine; 
650,000  grape  trees  are  found  here.8  The  grapes,  after  being  pressed  here, 
are  taken  to  the  wine  cellar  at  “Rishon.”  Other  products  such  as  almonds, 
olives  and  oranges  contribute  considerably  to  the  income  cf  the  colony. 
The  Societies  “Agudath  Netaim”  and  “Palestina  Pflanzungs  Verein,”  two 
organizations  that  have  for  their  objects  the  planting  of  almond  and  olive 
groves  as  a  private  enterprise,  are  operating  here.  They  have  planted  many 
groves ;  these  they  sell  to  newcomers  who  prefer  to  purchase  a  ready  plan¬ 
tation  rather  than  buy  land  and  wait  six  years  for  the  first  fruit. 

One  colonist  has  been  experimenting  with  ostrich  culture.  Such  a  farm 
has  been  established  here.  Cannery,  soap,  oil  and  perfume  industries  were 
also  established  here,  but  the  local  market  has  not  reached  the  stage  to 
encourage  others  to  invest  in  such  enterprises. 

The  land  of  Rechoboth,  however,  has  not  proved  suitable  for  general 
agriculture,  and  for  some  time  the  colony  considered  seriously  the  pur¬ 
chase  of  a  tract  of  land  belonging  to  the  village  Jamnia  (Yabneh).  The 
soil  of  that  Historic  village  is  said  to  be  excellent  for  general  farming. 

The  colony  proper  occupies  an  area  of  10,748  D.,  but  the  land  owned 
by  the  colonists  altogether  approximates  16,000  D.  This  figure  includes 
the  late  purchase  of  2700  D.  that  was  made  near  Ramleh,  to  which  for 
some  reason  a  clear  title  had  not  been  procured  to  enable  the  Recho- 
bites  to  have  it  attached  to  their  colony.9 

The  present  resident  population  is  650,  divided  intcJ  163  families. 
Every  resident  above  twenty  years  of  age  is  entitled  to  a  vote  for  the  Vaad 
Hamoshabah. 

Rechoboth  is  considered  the  most  intellectual  colony  in  Palestine.  This 
is  because  the  founders,  with  few  exceptions,  were  Jews  of  a  cultured  type. 

8  W.  Bambus’  Palastina,  Berlin,  1898. 

9  Luach  Erez  Israel,  1908,  Luncz. 


RECHOBOTH 


75 


They  yearned  for  a  Jewish  life,  which  they  felt  was  impossible  in  Russia. 
In  their  new  colony  they  celebrate  all  days  having  an  historical  or 
national  significance.10 

They  were  first  to  introduce  Jewish  labor  in  the  colony,  and  to  offer 
the  right  of  the  ballot  to  all  who  have  resided  one  year  in  their  midst,  even 
though  they  are  not  property  owners.  Their  schools  have  no  rivals,  their 
love  for  education  knows  no  bounds.  In  a  small  community  of  one  hundred 
and  seventeen  families  there  are  one  hundred  and  thirty-six  subscribers  to 
papers  from  many  countries  and  in  many  languages.  The  institutions  of 
which  Rechoboth  is  justly  proud  include  the  “Beth  Am”  (Town  Hall),  the 
synagogue,  the  school,11  the  kindergarten,  the  Talmud  Torah,  the  library, 
the  hospital,  the  free  lodging  house  and  .the  free  kitchen. 

Unlike  other  colonies,  the  foundation  of  Rechoboth  was  effected  with 
pre-arranged  and  matured  plans.  The  early  settlers,  while  they  made  sac¬ 
rifices  for  the  Promised  Land,  did  not  suffer  great  want,  as  was  the  case 
with  the  other  colonies. 


In  the  year  1889  a  number  of  wealthy  Jews  of  Warsaw,  imbued  with 
the  love  of  Zion,  organized  themselves  into  a  society  which  they  named 
“Menuchah  Venachlah.”  Among  the  leaders  of  this  society  were  the  late 
Rabbi  Samuel  Mohilever,  of  Bialostock,  and  Eliezer  Caplan,  Jacob  Braude, 
Bezalel  Kurlandsky,  Wolf  Gluskin  and  last  but  not  least,  E.  W.  Levin- 
Epstein,  at  present  manager  of  the  Carmel  Wine  Company  in  New  York, 
but  formerly  administrator  of  the  colony  for  many  years. 

In  1890,  when  the  last  three  named  gentlemen  started  on  a  pilgrimage 
to  the  colonies,  they  were  requested  to  examine  the  land  which  Joshua 
Hankin  purchased  from  a  certain  Effendi  of  Jaffa,  and  if  found  satisfac¬ 
tory,  they  were  authorized  to  secure  it.  The  land  referred  to  was  6400 
D.,  a  part  of  the  village  of  Duran,  situated  three  hours’  distance  from 
Jaffa  and  two  hours  from  the  sea.  After  a  stay  of  two  months,  and  fre¬ 
quent  examinations  of  the  village  and  the  surrounding  country,  these  three 
emissaries  decided  to  secure  title  to  this  village  for  the  members  of  their 
society,  and  the  land  of  Duran  became  an  “inheritance”  to  the  Warsaw 
Society.  Mr.  Levin-Epstein  was  appointed  by  his  constituents  admin¬ 
istrator  of  the  new  colony.  He  divided  the  land  into  forty-six  parts 


(10)  The  Hagigah  (festival)  during  Hol-ha-Moed  Pesah  in  Rechoboth  became  a  na¬ 
tional  institution.  From  all  over  Palestine  Jews  come  hither  to  the  Hagigah.  The  young 
folks  show  their  interest  in  athletic  sports,  such  as  running,  racing,  games  and  in  declama¬ 
tions,  songs  and  dances.  There  is  also  an  exhibit  of  farm  products  from  the  colonies. 

(J1)  The  school  i8  attended  by  seventy  children,  22  boys  and  48  girls ;  the  kindergarten 
by  about  50  children,  and  the  Talmud)’  Torah  by  17  boys. 


76 


NEW  JUDEA 


for  as  many  shareholders,  each  one  receiving  120  D.  as  his  share. ;  880  D. 
was  left  as  the  common  property  of  the  settlement,  to  be  used  for  streets 
and  for  other  communal  purposes.  Soon  several  other  families  not  belong¬ 
ing  to  the  Warsaw  organization  purchased  4000  D.  land  and  established 
themselves  here. 

In  the  first  four  years,  owing  to  the  restrictions  placed  by  the  govern¬ 
ment  upon  the  colonists,  very  little  headway  was  made.  The  steady  growth 
of  Rechoboth  began  in  1894  when  the  hindrance  on  the  part  of  the  govern¬ 
ment  ceased.12 

In  1882  the  land  area  was  io,6ooD.  (2387  acres),  the  population,  con¬ 
sisting  mostly  of  laborers,  was  304,  occupying  seven  houses  and  tents.13 
Six  years  later  the  resident  population  was  383,  divided  into  seventy  fami¬ 
lies,  and  the  houses  increased  to  thirty  in  number.14 

Within  the  last  four  years  the  colony  has  made  rapid  strides.  Forty 
new  houses  were  erected,  3,000  D.  land  have  been  cultivated,  2,700  D.  new 
land  have  been  added  to  the  colony,  and  twenty  new  families  settled  here. 
The  products  of  the  colony  in  1909  materialized  183,521  frcs.  ($36,704.20). 

Besides  the  above  dwellings,  the  Ezra  Society  of  Berlin  has  built  five 
houses  in  Ezra  street  for  poor  families  and  twenty  new  houses  were  recently 
put  up  on  the  outskirts  of  Rechoboth,  where  170  Yemenite  Jews  find  shelter. 
Each  family  has  10  D.  land  for  vegetable  gardens.15 

Rechoboth  attracts  the  intellectual  Jewish  element.  The  associations 
are  very  pleasant,  the  air  is  pure  and  salubrious,  and  the  high  altitude  im¬ 
parts  a  splendid  view  of  the  beautiful  mountains  of  Judea. 

(12)  Unlike  the  purchases  made  in  other  colonies,  the  title  to  this  land  was  secured 
from  the  government  in  the  individual  names,  which  was  unusual  in  Palestine.  This  made 
the  colonists  independent  of  the  Turkish  Government,  and  the  Russian  Consul  always 
protected  them  from  all  attacks  and  undue  taxation. 

(13)  Eisenstadt’s  “Hamoshaboth  Beerez  Yisrael,”  1892.  Barzilai  Hashiloah,  Vol.  XXVIII, 
p.  271. 

(14)  Luach  Erez  Yisrael,  1908,  p.  64. 

(15)  Smilamsky  Hashiloa’h,  Vol.  XXVI,  59,  172,  540. 


GYMNASIA  HERZELIAH,  JAFFA 


SHOMRIM 


THE  BEZALEL  SCHOOL,  JERUSALEM 

(See  Page  147) 


THE  RAILWAY  STATION,  JERUSALEM 

Xiocated  southwest  from  the  city  wall,  about  half  a  mile  from  the  Jaffa  gate. 

'  '  (See  Page  113) 


CHAPTER  XI. 


THE  “BILU”  SETTLEMENT 

With  much  reluctance  we  cut  short  our  stay  in  Rechoboth,  for  in  ac¬ 
cordance  with  the  route  adopted,  we  had  to  reach  Ramleh  towards  evening, 
and  Ibrahim  was  anxious  to  get  there  in  good  time  for  two  reasons,  first, 
to>  secure  lodgings  for  the  night,  and  secondly,  because  the  last  half  of  the 
way  we  had  to  cover  is  often  infested  at  this  season  by  Bedouin  tribes,  and 
is  not  always  safe  for  the  “Hadji”  (pilgrim)  to  travel  at  night. 

Our  destination  was  the  little  colony  Katra  (Ghederah,  Josh,  xv  136) 
famous  for  its  history  and  its  distinguished  founders  known  as  the  “Bilus” 
or  “Biluzes.” 

It  was  a  hot  day,  but  the  refreshing  sea  breeze  which  usually  sets  in 
about  ten  o’clock  in  the  morning  and  reaches  its  height  at  three  o’clock  in 
the  afternoon,  kept  continuously  fanning  us. 

In  the  month  of  May  the  refreshing  sea  breeze  reigns  all  over  Pales¬ 
tine  lasting  until  the  early  rain  (Yoreh) — about  the  end  of  September.1 
This  breeze  continues  until  after  sunset.  During  the  night  there  is  a  land 
breeze  from  the  east  blowing  in  the  opposite  direction.  The  warmest  time 
of  the  summer  is  during  early  morning  hours,  and  the  coolest  in  the  early 
afternoon. 

It  was  the  harvest  season,  the  most  joyful  season  for  the  poor  Pales¬ 
tinian  fellah,  when  young  and  old,  even  babies  in  the  cradle,  celebrate  this 
happy  time  in  the  field,  for  “they  that  sow  in  tears  shall  reap  in  joy.”2 
The  whole  country  roundabout  was  alive  with  merry  parties  of  reapers 
and  gleaners,  all  using  the  time-honored  sickle,  probably  the  identical  imple¬ 
ment  employed  in  the  Biblical  days.  The  reapers,  in  the  old  Biblical  manner, 
gathered  their  grain  in  their  left  arms  as  they  cut  it  with  their  right  hands, 
followed  by  the  binders,  who  formed  it  into  sheaves,  or  more  often  into 
bundles.3 

The  children  of  the  poor  and  the  aged  usually  follow  the  reapers  and 
do  the  gleaning  (leket)  ;  they  collect  all  the  single  ears  scattered  in  the  field. 

(1)  In  the  prayer  book  reference  is  made  to  two  seasons,  “who  causeth  the  wind  to  blow 
and  the  rain  to  descend  “(Eighteen  Blessings,”  Prayer  Book). 

(2)  Ps.  cxxvi  :5. 

(3)  Ps.  cxxix  :7 ;  Isa.  xvii:5. 


77 


78 


NEW  JUDEA 


During  the  harvest  they  sleep  in  the  fields,  under  the  blue  sky,  the  bril¬ 
liant  moon,  and  twinkling  stars,  scenting  and  inhaling  the  air  of  the  newly- 
cut  crops,  for  rain  daring  harvest  is  very  rare  and  no  other  precaution  is 
needed  except,  probably,  watching  the  marauding  Bedouin  and  treacherous 
incendiaries. 

After  the  day’s  toil  they  feast  on  bread  dipped  in  vinegar,  and  on 
parched  wheat.  A  fire  at  some  distance  from  the  grain  is  built  whereon 
ears  of  the  new  wheat  are  roasted,  then  rubbed  between  the  palms  of  the 
hands  and  eaten  warm.  From  time  imm~norial  it  has  been  a  food  much 
relished  by  the  Palestinian  peasant  and  ail  guests  are  invited  to  partake  of 
the  hospitality  thus  offered.  No  picture  could  be  more  descriptive  of  the 
modern  Palestinian  fellah  than  that  given  in  the  Book  of  Ruth — “And  Boaz 
said  unto  her  at  meal  time,  'come  thou  hither  and  eat  of  the  bread  and  dip 
thy  morsel  in  the  vinegar,’  and  she  sat  beside  the  reapers  and  he  reached 
her  parched  corn  and  she  did  eat  and  was  sufficed  and  left.”4 

We  passed  on  the  way  long  lines  of  camels  bearing  on  their  backs  heavy 
loads  of  unthreshed  grain,  and  donkeys  enveloped  in  large  loads  of  newly- 
cut  wheat  or  barley;  in  some  cases  the  animals  were  practically  lost  under 
the  freight. 

One  is  struck  here  with  the  substitution  of  the  animal’s  back  for  the 
wagon  as  a  carrier  of  freight.  The  back  of  the  camel  and  the  donkey  is 
used  to  haul  lumber  and  stone  for  building  purposes,  to  convey  merchan¬ 
dise  to  the  market,  to  bring  fuel  and  to  move  furniture.  The  limited  use 
of  the  wagon  may  be  due  to  scarcity  of  proper  roads.  Roads  fit  for  wheels 
are  very  scarce  in  Judea,  and  even  in  certain  favored  localities  where  fre¬ 
quent  passing  has  marked  a  road  by  itself,  such  roads  are  miserable  and  at 
times  perilous,  and  one  can  only  travel  at  the  rate  of  the  animal’s!  pace  over 
the  narrow  tracks  of  stony  and  precipitous  hills,  for  no  one  takes  care  of 
these  roads,  and  the  fellahin  often  find  the  public  roads  the  best  place  to 
dump  rubbish,  or  as  a  clearing  place  for  stones  picked  up  from  the  fields. 

The  Romans  were  the  best  road-builders  of  Palestine.  Some  of  their 
roads  are  available  even  to  this  day.  They  are  shown  on  most  of  the  maps ; 
but  after  about  1700  years  of  abuse  without  repair,  the  roads  have  become 
very  distressing  to  the  traveler.  The  Turkish  government  has  been  very 
slow  to  look  after  these  thoroughfares,  for  they  only  concerned  its  own 
subjects.  Only  when  European  dignitaries  are  expected  to  visit  Palestine 
are  roads  repaired.  The  old  Biblical  custom  “to  prepare  the  way”5  in  antici- 


(4)  Ruth  ii  :14. 

(5)  Isaiah  xl  :3-4. 


THE  “BILU"  SETTLEMENT 


79 


pation  of  great  visitors  is  still  in  vogue  in  Turkey.  Some  twenty-eight 
years  ago  the  road  from  Jerusalem  to  Nablus  (Shechem),  forty  miles  long, 
was  repaired  to  receive  a  Russian  Grand  Duke.  The  roads  from  Jerusalem 
to  Jericho  and  Hebron  were  several  times  placed  in  good  condition;  upon 
the  visits  of  the  late  Prince  of  Wales  and  the  Emperor  of  Germany. 
At  other  times  the  government  does  not  concern  itself  about  roads  and  the 
peasants  have  no  urgent  need  to  do  it  of  their  own  accord.  They  are  used 
to  the  old  time  transportation  and  look  upon  it,  from  an  economical  point 
of  view,  as  saving  the  expense  of  buying  a  wagon.  All  they  need  is  a  path 
for  their  donkeys  to  pass,  as  they  themselves  walk  behind  the  loaded  ani¬ 
mals  when  leaving  home  for  the  market.  It  is,  therefore,  extremely  difficult 
in  the  interior  of  Palestine  to  transport  very  heavy  articles. 

The  roads  in  the  vicinity  of  the  colonies,  however,  are  in  a  fair  con¬ 
dition,  and  by  Ibrahim  they  were  considered  excellent,  he  being  proud  of 
the  fact  that  he  brought  us  to  Katra  in  less  than  one  hour,  a  distance  of 
six  American  miles,  which  he  attributed  to  the  good  road. 

The  way  leading  to  the  settlement  is  surrounded  on  either  side  by 
verdant  fields  and  .excellent  pasture  land.  Passing  these  fields  we  drove 
up  a  broad  and  hilly  avenue,  on  either  side  of  which  two  lines  of  one  and 
two-story  houses  are  situated,  separated  from  each  other  by  narrow  passages 
wide  enough  for  the  passage  of  a  wagon.  Behind  these  houses  are  rows 
of  white  stone  stables,  the  back  walls  of  which  are  connected  and  form 
an  enclosure  for  the  colony.  At  the  front  of  each  residence  extends  a 
good-sized  plot  of  ground  somewhat  elevated  and  enclosed  by  stone  pillars 
supporting  iron  or  wooden  railings. 

The  front  gardens  contain  numerous  eucalyptus  and  mulberry  trees, 
and  in  some  cases  a  fine  assortment  of  flowers  adorns  the  residences.  The 
colony  in  general  appeared  to  be  in  a  clean  and  sanitary  condition,  in  con¬ 
tradistinction  to  neighboring  Arab  “K’pharin,”  which  we  had  passed  on  the 
way.  We  were  recommended  to  the  residence  of  one  of  the  colonists  who 
had  some  reserved  rooms  for  the  accommodation  of  tourists,  and  arrived 
there  during  lunch  hour. 

Entering  the  house,  we  found  around  a  table  a  number  of  young  Jewish 
laborers,  who,  we  were  told,  came  here  to  work  during  the  harvest.  From 
a  conversation  I  gathered  that  most  of  them  had  emigrated  there  within 
the  last  five  years.  They  were  without  any  agricultural  experience,  in  fact, 
without  any  manual  training  at  all.  Their  previous  occupation  was  either 
the  book  or  the  bargain  counter.  Most  of  them  were  in  comfortable  cir¬ 
cumstances  at  home,  but  Jewish  national  impulses  brought  them  here.  Local 


80 


NEW  JUDEA 


conditions  and  environment  transformed  them  into  a  new  type,  a  Jewish 
peasant  class.  In  some  cases,  it  would  have  been  hard  to  distinguish  them 
from  the  native  fellah,  were  it  not  for  their  language  and  superior  intelli¬ 
gence.  They  were  sunburnt  and  clothed  in  the  native  garments. 

“Yes,”  remarked  one  of  these  young  adventurers,  “life  here  is  no  holi¬ 
day.  One  has  the  ‘fever’  (malaria)  and  if  lucky  enough  not  to  be  carried 
away  by  ‘fever’  one  has  to  reduce  himself  to  a  level  with  the  native  peasant, 
whose  needs  are  insignificant,  in  bidding  for  work  in  the  colonies.  Our 
needs  must  be  reduced  to  the  lowest  possible  level  and  we  must  be  contented 
with  a  simple  and  modest  life.  There  can  be  no  question  of  luxuries.” 

While  this  conversation  was  proceeding,  our  host  placed  on  the  table  a 
bottle  of  “arack,”  saying,  “This  is  something  that  you  are  not  familiar  with 
in  America.” 

The  liquor  handed  to  us  was  a  genuine  Palestinian  beverage.  It  is  a 
very  strong  spirit,  frequently  flavored  with  peppermint,  or  more  often  with 
gum  mastic,  and  sweetened  with  sugar.  Arack  is  used  extensively  by  the 
Mohammedans  because  the  Koran  does  not  prohibit  this  liquor,  which  was 
not  known  in  the  days  of  the  Prophet.  Arack  is  the  cause  of  alcoholism, 
as  is  sometimes  seen  in  the  larger  cities  of  Palestine.  It  has  a  pleasant 
taste  and  is  distilled  in  almost  all  the  colonies. 

The  proprietor  of  the  inn  at  which  we  sojourned  was  one  of  the  original 
colonists,  a  member  of  the  body  of  students  who  organized  themselves 
under  the  name  of  “Bilu”  and  came  here  thirty  years  ago  to  till  the  historiq 
land  of  their  ancestors.  Though  gray  and  wrinkled,  his  countenance  yet 
revealed  the  militant  spirit  of  the  Russian  students  of  the  early  eighties. 
Age  and  hardship  might  have  modified  his  views,  but  had  not  weakened 
his  idealism,  for  which  he  offered  untiring  energy  and  self-sacrifice  since 
his  early  youth. 

“This  is  genuine  Jewish  bread,”  he  remarked  when  placing  bread  on 
the  table.  “What  you  call  Jewish  bread  is  merely  Jewish-baked  bread,”  he 
continued  in  the  same  tone,  “but  as  to  this  bread,  Jews  were  its  producers 
from  the  first  to  the  last  step;  Jews  ploughed  the  soil,  cast  the  seed,  reaped, 
threshed,  and  ground  the  wheat  in  their  own  mill,  and  Jews  baked  it  in  their 
own  oven.”  The  same  formula  was  pretty  nearly  repeated  with  every 
article  served  at  the  table,  with  a  pride  and  an  enthusiasm  seldom  seen  in 
men  of  such  an  age.  The  remarks  of  the  old  man  called  forth  the  facetious 
rejoinder  of  one  at  the  table.  “Our  host,”  he  remarked,  “would  make  a 
splendid  advertising  agent.”  “You  are  mistaken,  sir,”  promptly  interjected 
the  proprietor  reproachfully,  “we  Jews  are  poor  advertisers  when  it  con- 


THE  “BILU"  SETTLEMENT 


81 


cerns  our  own  people.  I  have  not  tried  to  give  you  the  impression  that 
the  bread  here  is  the  best  you  have  eaten,  nor  that  the  milk  is  the  purest,  no ! 
I  am  far  from  being  so  conceited.  I  know  you  Americans  have  better  wheat 
and  finer  cattle.  I  spoke  little  of  the  merits  of  the  food.  I  only  wished 
to  bring  to  your  notice  the  fact  that  these  articles  of  food  were  produced 
by  Jews. 

“When  I  was  in  Russia  we  were  often  reproached  that  we  are  a  people 
consisting  of  consumers  and  not  producers,  although  in  every  industry  our 
people  are  proportionately  very  well  represented,  but  the  anti-Semites  never 
fail  to  discover  the  weakest  point  when  making  their  onslaught  on  us.  They 
do  not  give  us  credit  for  that  wherein  we  are  efficient,  but  assail  us  for 
that  in  which  we  are  deficient.  In  the  vocation  of  agriculture,  the  most 
important  industry,  it  being  the  source  of  life,  they  claim  that  we  not  only 
fail  to  contribute  our  share,  but  that  we  make  no  efforts  in  that  direction 
and  expect  others  to  feed  us.  We  Jews  are  doing  nothing  to  refute  this 
criticism.  Some  of  our  own  people  are  even  ready  to  admit  that  we  are 
not  capable  of  being  tillers  of  the  soil,  that  we  are  nothing  else  than  traders. 

“Small  nations,”  he  continued,  “people  that  contributed  but  little  to  the 
world’s  progress,  are  proclaiming  their  virtues,  making  heroes  of  cowards, 
giants  of  dwarfs,  and  scholars  of  illiterates,  while  we  not  only  have  done 
nothing  to  place  ourselves  in  the  proper  light,  but  are  even  apt  to  believe  the 
charges  our  enemies  make  against  us.  Herein  lies  the  tragedy  of  the 
modern  Jew,”  he  cried  out,  his  voice  becoming  husky.  “We  Palestinians,” 
he  concluded,  “have  demonstrated  that  Jews,  when  given  equal  opportu¬ 
nities,  and  freedom  to  possess  land  and  develop  it,  make  excellent  farmers 
or  planters,  and  that  we  even  excel  our  neighbors  in  the  agricultural  field 
the  same  as  you  Americans  have  succeeded  in  other  industries  within  the 
past  thirty  years.  To  illustrate  what  Jews  have  accomplished  in  farming 
I  would  request  you  to  accompany  me  to  the  threshing  floor.  Almost  all 
our  crops  from  the  field  are  already  in.” 

Our  company  followed  him  to  the  “goren,”  or  threshing  floor,  which 
was  situated  at  some  distance  from  Katra.  Long  before  reaching  the 
“goren,”  huge  walls  of  sheaves  were  visible,  appearing  like  a  series  of 
white  pyramids  from  a  distance.  The  threshing  place,  as  a  rule,  is  the 
common  property  of  the  colony.  Each  colonist  has  a  place  reserved  for 
his  crops  there,  which  consist  mainly  of  wheat,  barley,  sesame,  lentils  and 
peas.  Every  colonist  is  represented  there  by  a  family  of  five,  two  large 
stacks  of  wheat  and  barley,  and  three  or  four  little  ones,  the  less  important 
crops.  The  “goren”  occupies  the  most  elevated  position  of  the  colony  in 


82 


NEW  JUDEA 


order  to  get  the  most  breeze  when  winnowing.  The  ground  of  the  threshing 
floor  is  made  hard  by  artificial  means  and  is  usually  covered  with  clay  and 
made  smooth  by  passing  a  heavy  roller  over  it. 

As  rain  is  almost  unknown,6  between  May  and  September,  it  is  per¬ 
fectly  safe  to  do  the  threshing  in  the  open  air.  The  threshing  in  Katra,  as 
in  other  Jewish  settlements,  is  effected  by  modern  implements.  Usually,  one 
or  two  threshing  machines  are  owned  by  the  colony  as  common  property. 
The  one  that  brings  his  crops  first  is  served  first.  Notwithstanding  the  fact 
that  the  soil  is  very  seldom  manured,  I  have  counted  about  thirteen  or  four¬ 
teen  grains  of  wheat  to  the  ear  and  nearly  twice  as  many  to  the  ear  of 

barley,  of  the  crops  belonging  to  S -  B - ,  the  most  prosperous  farmer 

in  Katra.  (The  average  unfertilized  land  produces  ten-fold  in  wheat  and 
twenty-fold  in  barley,  but  when  well  fertilized,  it  may  repay  twenty-five 
times).  In  some  parts  of  Palestine,  in  Houran  (Bashan),  for  example,  or 
in  the  valley  of  Jezreel,  it  is  not  uncommon  to  find  single  grains  of  wheat  to 
produce  as  many  as  twelve  ears,  each  containing  twenty  or  twenty-five 
grains  and  nearly  twice  as  many  in  barley. 

Palestine  was  the  home  of  wheat  and  barley  from  time  immemorial. 
Berman  and  Aaronson,  two  Palestinian  agricultural  experts,  a  few  years 
ago  discovered  near  Tiberias  wild  wheat,  which  signifies  that  Palestine  was 
the  home  of  wheat  in  early  times.  Among  the  products  of  the  soil,  the  Bible 
enumerates  wheat  and  barley  as  the  most  important.  Even  after  thousands 
of  years  of  devastation,  decay  and  neglect,  the  soil  produces  fair  results 
with  modern  and  improved  methods  of  fertilization  and  cultivation. 

The  native  fellah,  however,  is  very  primitive  in  his  method  of  farming. 
He  has  made  little  progress  in  the  last  thousands  of  years.  He  still  uses  the 
wooden  plough,  which  he  makes  himself,  not  effective  for  good  and  deep 
ploughing,  and  he  still  uses  the  old  mawrej  for  threshing.  Both  implements 
are  drawn  by  a  yoke  of  oxen  or  by  an  ox  and  ass  together,  contrary  to 
the  teaching  of  Deuteronomy  xx:io.  It  is  reported  that  in  some  isol¬ 
ated  places,  to  save  the  expense  of  hiring  another  animal,  the  Arab 
hitches  his  wife  together  with  the  donkey  to  the  plough  or  mawrej.7 

On  some  threshing  floors  no  threshing  implement  is  seen  at  all,  and 

(6)  As  snow  in  summer  and  as  rain  in  harvest,  so  honor  is  not  seemly  for  a  fool  (Prov. 
xxvi  :1. 

(7)  Conder  reports  that  he  has  seen  himself  a  woman  pulling  a  plow  with  an  ass. 
He  also  quotes  Dr.  Chapman,  who  stated  that  he  came  across  in  the  Valley  of  Sharon  a 
woman  hitlched  with  a  donkey  to  a  plow.  Baldensperger,  however,  denies  all  such  rumors 
about  the  Felahin  women.  (See  Quarterly  Report  of  Palestine  Exploration  Fund,  1900, 
p.  177.) 


THE  " BILU ”  SETTLEMENT 


83 


the  threshing  is  effected  by  boys  driving  oxen,  mules  or  donkeys  over  the 
grain  in  a  circular  manner  until  it  is  shelled.8 

Oats  are  very  little  cultivated  in  Palestine  and  hay  is  almost  unknown 
among  the  Arabs.  They  raise  a  peculiar  kind  of  millet,  “dhurrah,”  in  its 
stead  for  their  cattle. 

The  “goren”  has  always  been  the  public  forum  of  the  village,  the 
place  where  the  old  and  young  gather  for  public  functions  and  for  enter¬ 
tainment,  such  as  singing,  playing,  match-making  and  courting.  It  was  on 
the  threshing  floor  of  Atad,  beyond  the  Jordan,  that  the  children  of  Jacob 
mourned  their  father,  wherefrom  it  received  the  name  “Abel  Mizraim.”9 
It  was  from  the  the  goren  that  Gideon  was  called  to  go  and  save  Israel  from 
the  Midianites,10  and  it  was  on  the  threshing-  floor  of  Araunah  that  Gad 
came  to  the  sturdy  son  of  Jesse  and  ordered  him  to  erect  an  altar  10 
the  Lord.11  1 

For  many  years  the  tax-gatherers  have  made  use  of  the  threshing  floor 
to  extort  from  the  poor  peasant  undue  taxes.  Under  the  oppressive  system 
of  the  Moslem  Government,  as  well  as  under  the  ancient  Roman,  the  (osher) 
tithes  are  sold  to  the  highest  bidder  for  a  sum  paid  in  advance.  These 

government  representatives  employ  all  corrupt  means  to  obtain  from  the 
cultivators  of  the  soil  more  than  their  due,  and  they  are  aided  by  government 

officials,  who  forbid  the  farmers  to  thresh  their  grain  before  the  tax 
gatherers  come.  In  some  cases  crops  are  kept  on  the  threshing  floor  for 
many  weeks  and  the  owners  are  obliged  to  watch  it  day  and  night  as  a  pro¬ 
tection  against  thieves  and  from  rain,  because  the  tax  gatherers  happen  not 
to  come  at  the  proper  time. 

Returning  to  the  colony,  it  was  gratifying  to  observe  the  farming  spirit 
pervailing  all  over,  men  and  women  hauling  crops,  and  women  busy  with 

domestic  work.  The  farm  of  S -  B -  attracted  us  the  most.  He 

came  here  in  1908  from  Cairo,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  wholesale  sugar 
business.  He  purchased  here  650  D.  of  land,  built  a  beautiful  home  and 
erected  a  number  of  other  structures  necessary  for  up-to-date  farming.  He 
installed  bee-hives,  incubators  and  necessary  appliances  for  dairy  farming, 
and  succeeded  in  building  up  what  is  considered  the  finest  agricultural  plant 

in  Palestine.  Mr.  B -  conducted  us  from  his  office  to  a  well-equipped 

agricultural  laboratory,  to  his  barns  and  stables,  and  exhibited  his  incuba- 

(8)  The  animals  are  often  muzzled  with  sacking  when  threshing.  This  practice,  also 
against  Biblical  law,  Deut.  xxv:4,  is  done  out  of  respect  for  wheat,  which  the  Arab  con¬ 
siders  “Harem  Alla,”  a  sin  to  feed  animals. 

(9)  Genesis  1 :10-12. 

(10)  Judges  vi  :11. 

(11)  II  Samuel  xxiv:18. 


84 


NEW  JUDEA 


tors,  that  presented  him  that  year  with  five  hundred  hens  and  other  fowls. 
He  claimed  to  have  been  very  successful  in  the  use  of  the  incubators. 

Katra  belongs  to  the  Kada  (county)  of  Gaza,  and  is  situated  six  hours’ 
walk  from  Jaffa,  three  hours  from  Rishon  and  two  hours’  distance  from 
the  sea.  According  to  Luncz,  it  occupies  an  area  of  5400  D.12 
The  land  is  thought  to  be  the  best  in  Judea.  One-third  of  the 
soil  is  suitable  for  agricultural  purposes,  the  other  for  plantations.  The 
soil  here  is  generally  black  and  is  mixed  with  little  stones,  and  suitable  for 
the  cultivation  of  olives.  Some  of  the  grapes  here  are  native  products, 
but  most  are  imported  from  France  and  grafted  with  Indian  and  Cali¬ 
fornian  varieties.  There  are  over  thirty  thousand  grape  trees.  Other  prod¬ 
ucts  of  Ghedera  are  figs,  almonds  and  olives.  Fruits,  such  as  apples,  pears, 
plums  and  cherries  are  cultivated  in  the  orchards,  only  for  local  use. 

The  resident  population  of  the  colony  is  157,  divided  into  twenty-five 
families,  exclusive  of  term  laborers.1*  Sixteen  colonists  are  members  of 
the  Wine  Syndicate,  while  the  others  sell  their  grapes  to  the  highest  bidder. 
(About  1065  cantors  of  wine  a  year  are  produced  from  the  grapes  of 
Ghedera.) 

The  public  institutions  in  Katra  include  a  synagogue,  an  apothecary 
shop,  a  public  bath,  a  school — attended  by  33  pupils,  a  loan  association, 
with  a  capital  of  5000  francs  ($1000.00),  a  flour  mill  operated  by  steam 
whose  power  is  utilized  for  irrigation  purposes  as  well.  Recently  Meyer 
Hankin,  of  Moscow,  donated  50,000  francs  ($10,000.00)  to  build  a  new 
synagogue  two  stories  high,  the  upper  story  to  be  utilized  as  a  Beth  Am 
(Town  Hall),  a  Hebrew  school  and  library. 

The  village  is  surrounded  by  a  forest  of  almonds  and  vineyards.  The 
houses  are  situated  upon  a  hill  and  from  the  windows  the  Colonies  of 
Rishon,  Ekron  and  Nes  Zionah  can  be  distinctly  seen.  The  health  con¬ 
ditions  of  the  colony  are  excellent. 

About  forty  per  cent,  of  the  gross  receipts  is  profit,  which  is  usually 
about  40,000  francs  ($8000.00). 

The  colonists  here  are  practically  occupied  all  through  the  year.  Plough¬ 
ing  begins  in  October  and  sowing  continues  to  the  end  of  March.  Harvest 
begins  in  May,  lasting  seven  or  eight  weeks.  Then  comes  the  threshing 
season,  lasting  until  the  middle  of  August,  or  the  time  when  vintage  com¬ 
mences,  the  latter  continuing  until  the  end  of  September,  when  it  is  time 
to  plough  again.  For,  unlike  other  colonies  in  Judea,  Ghedera  is  blessed 

ia  Luach  Erez  Yisrael,  1909,  p.  73. 

15  Barzilai  Hashiloah,  Vol.  XXVIII,  p.  474. 


THE  “BILU”  SETTLEMENT 


85 


with  a  mixed  crop,  with  bread  as  well  as  with  wine, — thus  the  “blessings 
of  God”  resting  on  the  colony:  “And  the  threshing  shall  reach  until  the 
vintage,  and  the  vintage  into  the  sowing  time.”  14 

The  early  settlers  of  Katra  were  members  of  the  Bilu  organization, 
most  of  whom  were  university  students.  The  sudden  outpouring  of  anti- 
Jewish  hatred  in  1882  struck,  as  lightning  in  a  clear  day,  the  cultural 
element  of  Russian  Jewry  who  thought  themselves  to  be  thoroughly  secure 
in  Russia  and  who  placed  too  much  reliance  on  Russian  humanitarianism. 
The  misfortunes  that  befell  their  people  suddenly  aroused  the  Jewish  con¬ 
sciousness  of  many  of  these  students  and  they  began  to  realize  that  in 
spite  of  their  devotion  to  Russia  they  were  not  regarded  as  Russians. 
Once  they  regained  their  Jewish  consciousness  they  determined  to  fight 
their  own  battles  as  Jews.  A  number  of  these  students  placed  themselves 
at  the  head  of  an  organization  named  “Bilu,”  the  initial  letters  of  the 
Hebrew  phrase,  “House  of  Jacob,  come  and  let  us  go,”  to  which  many  of 
the  cultured  youth  of  Russian  Jewry  were  soon  attracted. 

Ninety  of  these  young  men  came  to  Palestine  in  the  summer  of  1882, 
inspired  with  the  idea  of  founding  a  co-operative  agricultural  colony.  These 
youths  in  their  enthusiasm  forgot,  however,  that  Palestine  had  very  little 
work  to  offer  them,  and  that  those  who  were  brought  up  in  the  schools  were 
not  a  match  for  Arab  labor. 

But  these  men  were  not  of  the  type  to  be  discouraged  by  reverses  or 
disappointments.  They  were  glad  to  accept  the  hardest  labor,  such  as  dig¬ 
ging  ditches,  carrying  stones,  or  working  as  farm  hands,  in  order  to  gain 
a  scanty  livelihood ;  but  even  hard  labor  was  difficult  to  obtain  in  those 
days  in  Jaffa.  Two  long  years  passed  without  any  hope  of  becoming  tillers 
of  their  own  soil.  A  number  of  Biluites,  whose  power  0|f  resistance  was 
not  strong  enough,  left  Palestine  altogether.  Some  few  dismissed  from  their 
minds  the  idea  of  becoming  farmers  and  took  up  other  vocations.  On  the 
25th  day  of  Kislev,  5645  (1884),  through  the  efforts  of  Yechiei  Michael 
Pines,  they  became  the  possessors  of  3246  D.  land  in  kephr  Katra.  One- 
fifth  of  the  land  was  soon  purchased  by  a  few  private  families  from  Rus¬ 
sia.15  As  soon  as  the  land  was  purchased,  eight  members  of  the  “Bilu” 
group  were  settled  there.  The  land  was  badly  neglected.  Only  a  small 
part  of  the  land  was  suitable  for  agricultural  purposes.  It  was  also  out 
of  the  way  of  the  other  settlements  and  far  from  Gaza,  its  county  seat. 


14  Ley.  xxvi  :5. 

15  The  land  of  Katra  was  formerly  the  property  of  the  Chovevei  Zion  Society  of  Pari8 
and  was  purchased  by  Y.  M.  Pines  for  another  society,  but  that  society  later  backed  out  and 
M.  Pines  induced  the  Hovevei  Zion  to  secure  the  land  in  Katra  for  the  “Bilu”  group. 


86 


NEW  JUDEA 


To  reach  there  with  a  wagon  was  almost  impossible  in  winter  as  the  Vadies 
were  full  of  water,  the  country  around  was  wild.  They  began  to  put  up 
a  barn:  for  themselves  and  for  their  cattle,  but,  owing  to  the  treachery  of 
their  Arab  neighbors  who  reported  to  the  Government  that  they  were 
building  an  arsenal,  they  were  not  allowed  to  complete  the  building.  There 
were  no  trees,  no  houses  and  no  wells.  The  natives,  as  soon  as  they  dis¬ 
covered  that  their  foreign  neighbors  wer e  poor,  refused  to  permit  them 
the  use  of  their  wells,  and  the  poor  idealists  were  compelled  to  drink  the 
water  from  stagnant  pools.  It  took  three  years  before  the  “Baron”  was 
induced  to  provide  them  with  good  water.  He  presented  them  with  a 
well  which  they  named  “The  Well  of  Benjamin.” 

Their  joy  at  becoming  farmers  in  Palestine  brightened  their  spirits 
pnd  gave  them  new  energy.  The  task  of  building  the  colony  began  in 
earnest.  They  commenced  clearing  away  stones,  digging  for  foundations, 
hewing  rocks,  sawing  beams,  and  as  soon  as  they  got  permission  from 
the  authorities  they  began  to  erect  shelters  from  the  heat  of  the  summer, 
and  protections  from  the  rain  of  the  winter. 

They  proceeded  with  much  deliberation,  but  unfortunately  with  little 
technical  skill.  At  first  some  progress  was  made,  but  sickness,  misfortune 
and  want  handicapped  them. 

They  did  not  possess  sufficient  land  suitable  for  agriculture  and  when 
they  were  fortunate  enough  to  have  sowed  the  fields,  their  hostile  neigh¬ 
bors  drove  their  horses  and  cattle  upon  these  fields  and  destroyed  the  crops. 
At  one  time  in  the  winter  of  1890,  they  decided  to  put  a  stop  to  Arab 
treachery.  They  captured  the  intruding  cattle  and  demanded  a  ransom 
from  their  owner.  Instead  o£  paying  they  made  a  night  attack  on  the 
colony.  Although  the  colonists  succeeded  in  their  counter-attacks,  driving 
ofif  much  superior  forces,  they  lost  in  the  engagement  one  of  their  com¬ 
rades  (Israel  Reisman),  who  fell  at  the  hands  of  an  assassin.  This  event 
would  have  discouraged  any  other  settlers.  But  these  young  dreamers 
were  prepared  if  need  be  to  die  for  the  rejuvenation  of  their  country.19 

The  yield  of  the  crops  was  entirely  inadequate  to  their  needs.  Skilled 
agriculturists  whose  counsel  was  indispensable  could  not  be  hired ;  the  out¬ 
look  became  in  all  respects  gloomy.  Yet  these  idealists  were  not  dismayed, 
for  they  sought  neither  wealth  nor  luxuries.  They  rather  welcomed  hard¬ 
ship,  and  as  long  as  they  could  keep  body  and  soul  together  they  con¬ 
sidered  themselves  happy  in  their  new  life. 

One  of  these  pioneers,  speaking  of  olden  times,  expressed  himself 


19  Barzilai  Hashiloah,  Vol.  XXVIII,  p.  474. 


THE  “BILU”  SETTLEMENT 


87 


thus :  “I  never  felt  so  thoroughly  contented  as  when  my  friend  and  I 
met  together  in  our  little  stone  hut  after  a  day’s  hard  toil.  The  settlement 
then  was  in  a  stage  of  transition  between  wilderness  and  so-called  colony. 
The  appearance  of  the  settlement  was  most  repulsive  and  disheartening. 
In  one  end  was  a  clump  of  trees  and  in  another  a  patch  of  soil  newly  and 
clumsily  planted,  here  were  a  couple  of  huge  piles  of  stones  collected  from 
the  field,  and  there  some  mud  houses.  Beyond  the  village,  on  one  hill,  were 
our  headquarters  and  on  the  opposite  hill  the  black  tents  of  the  Bedouin 
camps.  Near  our  camp  was  one  of  our  men  ploughing,  and  at  some  dis¬ 
tance  a  mounted  shepherd  armed  to  the  teeth,  was  running  to  and  fro  to 
head  off  straying  cattle.  “We  were  city  dwellers,”  he  continued,  “used  to 
city  life,  and  our  removal  to  a  wilderness  meant  more  to  us  than  all  the 
hardships  we  endured.  Yes !  It  was  /the  idea  that  we  were  building  a 
social  structure  for  our  brethren,  meant  to  last  for  all  time,  and  houses 
where  we  could  at  least  hope  to  pass  the  years  of  our  natural  life,  that 
supplied  us  constantly  with  fresh  energy  to  continue  the  work  we  started. 
It  was  the  unselfish,  deeply  rooted  idealism  and  intense  love  for  the 
land  that  stimulated  the  desire  in  my  friends  to  carry  out  the  plan.”  1T 

In  the  jyear  1892  the  Colony  had  only  fifteen  families,  consisting  of 
fifty-five  persons  receiving  assistance  from  Russian  Zionists.  A  year  after 
twenty  families  from  Southern  Russia  settled  here,  the  entire  popula  • 
tion  consisted  of  130  persons.  This  increase  in  membership  of  the 
colony  instilled  new  life  in  the  older  settlers.  The  interest  shown  in  the 
colony  by  the  Jewish  Colonization  Association,  who  granted  them  loans 
on  their  property,  promoted  its  development  considerably.18 

Now,  Ghedera  is  considered  the  most  successful  colony  in  Judea.  The 
founders  who  are  growing  old  have  the  satisfaction  that  they  have  at  last 
realized  the  aspirations  of  their  youth  of  becoming  a  free  people  in  the 
land  of  their  ancestors.  They  believe  that  they  have  built  a /permanent 
structure  which  will  reflect  honor  and  credit  on  themselves  and  their  pos¬ 
terity  and  which  will  serve  as  an  example  to  succeeding  generations  to  live 
a  life  of  perseverance  and  self-denial,  and  to  labor  for  the, general  interest 
of  the  Jewish  people. 

This  colony  should  indeed  be  named  “Bilu,”  a  name  that  embodies 
the  splendid  heroism,  the  strong  character  and  patriotism  of  its  founders. 

A  few  words  about  the  Bilu  Society.  The  “Bilu”  organization  was 

17  In  1891  the  Hovevei  Zion  provided  them  with  necessary  implements  and  horses  and 
advanced  each  one  with  4  francs  weekly.  They  made  an  extra  allowance  for  the  purpose  of 
planting  vines  on  the  soil  of  Katra,  but  when  the  grapes  ripened  they  found  no  market. 
In  189G  they  joined  the  Wine  Syndicate  and  their  products  for  the  first  time  found  a 
profitable  market. 

18  In  1907  new  arable  land  was  added  to  their  colony  by  the  Geulah  Organization. 


88 


NEW  JUDEA 


formed  in  1882  by  a  circle  of  twenty-five  students  of  the  University  of 
Charkov.  They  were  convinced  that  a  permanent  solution  of  the  Jewish 
problem  can  only  be  brought  about  by  the  settlement  of  the  Jews  in  Pal¬ 
estine  and  therefore  took  as  their  motto19a ‘‘House  of  Jacob,  come  ye  and  let 
us  walk.” 

In  a  call  issued  to  the  Jewish  students  of  Russia  they  declared  that 
‘“Not  in  civilization  nor  in  Jewish  philanthropy  lies  the  salvation  of  Israel. 
The  Antisemites  will  always  find  their  weapons,  and  charity  at  most  can 
only  do  away  with  some  physical  ills.  The  remedy  must  ,be  a  different 

one  than  hitherto  prescribed  for  Israel . It  must  be  administered 

by  the  Jews  themselves.  .  .  .  The  Jewish  conscience  should  be  aroused 
and  the  love  for  Zion  dormant  for  nineteen  centuries  must  be  awakened. 
.  .  .  .  Everything  in  Galuth  should  be  sacrificed  in  order  to  give  Pal¬ 
estine  the  best  service.  .  . 

About  twenty  of  these  students  toured  the  Russian  Pale  to  preach  the 
New  Gospel  and  made  converts  wherever  they  passed.  Their  influence 
was  particularly  marked  upon  students  of  the  Yeshibah,  who  joined  the 
ranks  of  the  Bilu  by  the  hundreds.  It  was  something  new  in  the  Lithuan¬ 
ian  cities  to  see  clean  shaven  young  men,  who  hardly  could  speak  Yiddish, 
permitted  to  address  audiences  in  ultra-Orthodox  Synagogues. 

In  a  few  months  they  enrolled  525  members  in  their  organization. 
Their  activities  did  not  stop  with  propaganda.  They  were  also  the  fore¬ 
runners  of  political  Zionism.  While  one  group  betook  themselves  to  Pales¬ 
tine  another  opened  offices  in  Odessa  and  Constantinople.19 

The  good  offices  of  Osman  Pasha,  who  was  well  known  in  Charkov 
as  a  prisoner  of  war,  were  obtained.  He  gave  them  introductions  to  the 
Grand  Vizier  and  other  high  dignitaries  of  Constantinople.  Even  the  Iron 
Chancellor  Fuerst  Von  Bismarck  was  approached.  The  late  Rabbi  Hildes- 
heimer  was  the  intermediary,  and  it  is  said  that  the  German  Chancellor 
promised  to  intervene  in  their  behalf  with  the  Sublime  Porte.20 

Sir  Lawrence  Oliphant,  who  was  in  Constantinople  at  that  time  on  a 
diplomatic  mission,  also  promised  to  use  his  prestige  and  influence  with  the 
Turkish  Government,  and  at  one  time  the  managers  of  the  Bilu  were  con¬ 
fident  that  they  had  gained  a  diplomatic  victory21. 

The  result  of  these  negotiations  was  the  well-known  “irade”  that  pro¬ 
hibited  selling  land  to  Russian  and  Roumanian  Jews. 

19  Wosehod,  1888,  No.  32. 

19a  Isa'ah  ii  :  5. 

20  Hameliz,  No.  24,  1885. 

21  Die  Welt,  1913,  1-2. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


EKRON : 

THE  LAND  OF  THE  PHILISTINES. 

If  there  is  any  regret  still  lingering  in  my  memory  in  connection  with 
my  travels  through  the  land  of  Israel,  it  is  my  not  having  been  able  to  visit 
the  Jewish  village  of  El  Kastine,  or,  as  it  is  more  commonly  called  by  its 
Hebrew  name,  ‘‘Beer  Tobiah.” 

I  have  used  the  word  “village”  advisedly,  for  Beer  Tobiah  is  said  to 
be  the  only  settlement  that  has  the  appearance  of  an  agricultural  village, 
and  that  was  the  very  reason  I  was  eager  to  see  it.  The  buildings  are 
reported  to  be  typical  farm  houses  consisting  of  log  or  frame  structures. 
The  settlers  are  real  peasants,  and  the  general  environments  of  El  Kastine 
are  rural  in  the  strict  sense  of  the  word,  in  contradistinction  to  the  other 
colonies  that  are  built  on  a  city  plan. 

Beer  Tobiah  is  situated  eight  miles  from  Katra,  and  is  further  south 
than  any  other  of  the  Judean  colonies.  The  road  is  bad  and  transporta¬ 
tion  is  slow.  If  we  had  gone  there  we  would  have  been  obliged  to  stay 
for  the  night.  To  this  Ibrahim  objected.  He,  holding  a  time-piece  in  his 
hand,  pleaded  with  us  to  cut  out  that  village,  if  we  wished  to  make  Jerusa¬ 
lem  for  the  Sabbath.  According  to  Ibrahim  it  was  late  in  the  afternoon. 
His  pocket  watch  indicated  that  it  was  io  P.  M.,  equivalent  to  4  P.  M. 
European  time.1 

We  were,  therefore,  compelled  to  follow  the  reasoning  of  Ibrahim  and 
hurry  towards  the  Holy  City  by  way  of  Ekron,  and  towards  the  end  of  one 
hour’s  ride  from  Katra  on  a  hilly  road  which  was  a  loose  mass  of  angular 
stones  from  two  to  six  inches  in  diameter  we  descended  the  last  slope  and 
came  suddenly  upon  a  most  picturesque  and  delightful  spot.  The  country 
all  around  bore  a  prosperous  appearance.  Ripe  or  newly  reaped  grain 
fields  shimmering  in  the  hot  summer  sun,  here  and  there  relieved  by  green 
areas  of  durah  and  millet  or  concealed  under  a  dark  cover  of  olive  groves, 
bespoke  the  fertility  of  the  old  Philistine  soil. 

1  The  Palestinian  peasant  follows  the  same  method  of  calculating  time  as  the  ancient 
Hebrews.  He  reckons  the  time  with  reference  to  sunset,  which  he  calls  12  o’clock,  and  if 
the  sun  sets  at  6  o’clock  European  style,  7  o’clock  in  the  evening  would  be  1  P.  M.  according 
to  Arab  style.  The  twTo  methods  of  time  keeping  are  known  as  Arabic  and  Franji. 

89 


-90 


NEW  JUDEA 


The  red  roofs  of  Ekron,  or,  as  it  is  sometimes  called,  “Mazkereth 
Bathiah” — after  the  mother  of  the  benevolent  founder — were  seen  peeping 
through  the  foliage  of  a  mass  of  trees.  We  soon  came  to  the  historic  vil¬ 
lage  Ekron  (Akier).  We  left  Ibrahim  to  feed  his  “kheil”  (horses),  and 
in  charge  of  a  school  teacher  on  whose  card  was  engraved  Samuel  Ben 
Sabbath  we  were  escorted  to  see  the  colony. 

The  main  street  presented  a  bustling  and  rather  novel  aspect.  Belated 
husbandmen  were  carrying  their  sheave-laden  carts  to  the  threshing  floor. 
Donkeys  walking  on  the  public  highways,  annoyed  by  boys  and  dogs,  the 
latter  apparently  having  a  natural  affinity  for  donkeys’  tails ;  goats,  locking 
horns,  surrounded  by  enthusiastic  partisans  of  the  two  combatants,  a  camel 
kneeling  majestically  in  the  centre  of  the  street,  disturbed  by  marauding 
hens  which  lodged  on  his  back  picking  grains  from  a  large  sack ;  hornless 
cows  and  heavy-tailed  sheep  crowding  the  doorways  undisturbed ;  and  num¬ 
erous  domestic  fowls  flying  frqm  roof  to  roof  and  following  us  as  we 
walked  down  the  street,  presumably  knowing  that  we  were  strangers. 

Indeed,  even  the  ancient  God  of  Ekron,  “Baal  Zebub”  (the  God 

of  Flies)2  had  graced  us  with  his  attention,  for  he  sent  regiments  of  peculiar 
looking  flies  as  our  bodyguards. 

While  we  were  observing  these  novel  sights,  suddenly  people  from 
every  direction  filled  the  public  thoroughfares ;  men,  women  and  children 
rushed  towards  the  threshing  floor,  followed  or  preceded  by  dogs,  donkeys, 
goats  and  a  menagerie  of  other  living  creatures.  Our  learned  guide,  inquir¬ 
ing  as  to  the  cause  of  the  excitement,  was  informed  that  a  serious  mishap 
had  just  occurred  on  the  threshing  floor.  An  Arab  boy  was  killed  by  a 
horse. 

Indeed,  the  panic  caused  here  among  the  Philistines  of  old  by  the 

pestilence,  which  was  visited  upon  them  for  capturing  the  holy  ark3  could 
not  have  been  more  pronounced.  Arabs  from  the  neighboring  beleds  (vil¬ 
lages)  hurried  towards  the  scene  from  every  direction,  weeping,  wailing, 
tearing  their  clothes  and  otherwise  manifesting  grief  for  the  loss  of  their 
kinsman — a  remarkable  trait  in  the  modern  Arab  which  was  so  character¬ 
istic  of  the  ancient  Hebrew  race,  traces  of  which  still  persist  in  the  Jews 
of  Eastern  Europe  and  Asia. 

The  Semitic  race  from  early  times  had  a  marvelous  propensity  to 
weep  and  to  pour  out  floods  of  tears.  Grief  was  manifested  by  tearing  the 
hair,  rending  the  clothes,  and  sprinkling  dust  upon  the  hair.  ’’Rend  your 

*  I  Sam.  V:  12. 

•  I  Sam.  V :  14.  t  < 


4 


EKRON 


91 


clothing/'  said  David  to  Joab,  “and  gird  you  with  sack  cloth,  and  mourn 
before  Abner’’4.  “I  am  weary  with  my  groaning,”  lamented  David ;  “all 
the  night  make  I  my  bed  to  swim ;  I  water  my  couch  with  my  tears/’5  He 
often  wept  over  his  own  sins,  over  his  enemies,  over  Saul  and  over  his  own 
son  Absalom,  as  well  as  over  the  loss  of  his  friend  Jonathan.  Jeremiah 
mourned,  “Oh,  that  my  head  were  waters,  and  mine  eyes  a  fountain  of 
tears,  that  I  might  weep  day  and  night  for  the  slain  daughters  of  my 
people.” 

I  am  informed  that  the  old  Hebrew  custom  of  hiring  mourners  is  yet 
in  vogue  among  the  Palestinian  Arabs  as  it  was  among  their  Israelitish 
predecessors.  “Consider  ye,”  exclaimed  Jeremiah,  “and  call  for  the  mourn¬ 
ing  women  that  they  may  come  and  start  a  wailing  for  us  that  our  eyes 
may  run  down  with  tears,  and  our  eyelids  gush  out  with  water.”6 

As  evidence  of  lasting  grief  after  the  demise  of  a  friend,  the  ancient 
Semites  endeavored  to  preserve  the  tears  shed  from  visiting  friends  in 
vessels  (lachrymatories)  ;  these  were  placed  in  the  sepulchres  of  the  dead.  In 
some  instances  the  names  of  the  weeping  friends  were  engraved  on  these 
tear  bottles.  Such  lachrymatories  are  found  throughout  Palestine  and 
Egypt  in  ancient  tombs.  Thus,  said  David,7  “Put  thou  my  tears  in  thy  bot¬ 
tle  ;  are  they  not  in  thy  book  ?” 

Funerals  are  particularly  a  sad  spectacle  in  the  East.  Mourning 
women,  draped  in  white,  whose  calling  is  to  stimulate  tears  through  sad 
remarks  and  endearing  expressions,  head  the  funeral  procession. 

Fortunately  for  the  Ekronites,  the  violent  death  of  the  Arah  boy 
occurred  in  the  presence  of  many  Arab  eye-witnesses,  and  thus  a  real  panic 
was  avoided. 

The  modern  Arab  still  adheres  to  the  Biblical  “Lex  Talionis.”  In 
oases  of  homicide  he  is  always  ready  to  take  the  law  into  his  own  hands 
and  avenge  his  dear  friend’s  blood.  Revenge  in  such  cases  has  been  recog¬ 
nized  among  Semitic  races  as  a  duty  from  time  immemorial.  Not  only  is 
the  avenging  of  death  a  personal  matter  with  the  Arabs,  but  it  is  a  moral 
duty  among  some  tribes  to  obtain  vengeance  for  the  murderous  act. 

Frequently,  Jong  and  bloody  battles  arise  among  different  tribes. 
Innocent  blood  in  the  opinion  of  the  native  Palestinian,  as  of  the  Hebrew 


4  II  Sam.  3:  31. 

6  Ps.  6:6. 

8  Jer.  9  : 17. 

T  Ps.  46:8. 


92 


NEW  JUDEA 


of  old,  cannot  be  redeemed  with  money.  “He  that  killeth  any  man  shall 
surely  be  put  to  death.”* 8'9 

The  modern  Arab  differs,  however,  from  the  ancient  Hebrew  in  the 
fact  that,  according  to  the  Arab,  the  avenger  of  blood  (Goel  Hadam)  is 
expected  to  be  executioner.10  Even  accidental  homicide  is  placed  by  the 
natives  on  the  same  footing  as  premeditated  murder,  since  the  real  cause 
of  the  killing  is  often  undeterminable  and  the  problem  as  to  who  is  going 
to  investigate  is  vexatious.11  The  Bedouins  will  not  even  take  the 
trouble  to  discover  the  real  aggressor.  They  will  take  any  member  of 
the  tribe,  or  if  this  be  not  known  any  man  from  the  village  where  the 
murder  was  committed.12  Such  instances  are  not  uncommon  in  the 
Jewish  colonies,  particularly  of  Galilee;  many  innocent  lives  have  been 
lost  in  consequence  of  a  slain  native  being  found  in  the  vicinity  of  a1. 
Jewish  colony.  One  therefore  is  not  surprised  to  hear  that  such  a  case 
would  cause  a  great  deal  of  anxiety  among  the  colonists  of  Ekron. 

We  were  assured,  however,  by  several  mountain  Jews  of  Caucasia, 
who  were  patrolling  the  streets  with  firearms  about  them,  that  this  accident 
would  cause  no  trouble. 

We  left  the  scene  of  excitement,  and  under  the  guidance  of  the  teacher 
we  went  to  the  public  garden13. 

In  the  centre  of  the  garden  is  situated  a  large  well  that  circulates 
water  by  means  of  clay  or  iron  tubes  to  every  part  of  the  grove.  This 
garden  is  the  common  property  of  the  colonists. 

Ekron  is  the  first  Jewish  colony  that  engaged  in  the  cultivation  of 
olives.  Some  olive  trees  there  are  twenty-nine  years  old ;  30,000  of  such 
trees  are  said  to  be  planted  in  and  about  the  colony. 

Ekron,  etymologically  speaking,  means  barren,  but  whatever  the  soil 
was  in  the  Philistine  days,  modern  Ekron  is  fertile;  and  the  soil  is  especially 
suited  for  the  cultivation  of  cereals,  such  as  wheat,  barley  and  sesame. 
Over  2000  D.  land  is  being  cultivated  with  wheat,  netting  a  profit  of 
$25,745 :  about  1,800  D.  with  sesame,  and  1,730  D.  with  vine,  olives, 

8  Gen.  ix  :6. 

8  The  lynch  law  in  some  of  our  Southern  States  probably  originated  from  the  same 

source. 

10  Num.  XXXV:  19. 

11  Num.  XXXV:  13. 

12  Deut.  xxi:l-2. 

13  Called  “Baiare.”  This  name  for  orange  grove  is  derived  from  the  Arabic  word  “Bireh,’' 
a  well. 


T5S  HAG  I G  AH  IN  RECHOBOTH 

“Again  I  will  build  thee...  O  virgin  of  Israel ;  thou  shalt  again  be  adorned 
with  thy  tabrets.  and  shall  go  forth  in  the  dances  of  them-  that  make 
merry.”  (Jer.  XXXI: 4). 

(See  Page  75) 


A  PILGRIMAGE  TO  THE  FESTIVAL  OF  RECHOBOTH 
“Return  O  virgin  of  Israel,  Return  to  these  thy  cities.”  (Jer.  XXXI  :21). 

(See  Page  75) 


RISHON  L’ZION 


(See  Page  53) 


Riachon  le  Zioa 

jjfij.  9  chW'V  uhi6)i2„2  2H  }2  '  *H|m 


(See  Page  49) 


EKRON 


93 


almonds  and  eucalyptus  trees.  Among  other  crops  rr ' ,  be  mentioned 
barley,  durah,  millet  and  lentils,  as  well  as  a  large  va  ‘  i  of  i.getables. 

Owing  to  the  splendid  pasture  Ekron  has  the  r  n  ll  having  the 

best  cattle  in  Judea,  and  the  supply  of  milk  far  e^.eecs  its  local  market. 
Poultry  raising  is  another  industry  the  Ekronites  are  engaged  in.  Poultry 
and  eggs  are  sent  to  the  Jerusalem  market. 

In  general  appearance  Ekron  varies  little  from  the  colonies  described 
in  the  previous  chapters.  The  houses  here  are  small  stone 
multiformed  structures,  some  of  which  are  close  together  under  one  roof. 
A  few  of  these  residences  were  originally  built  as  stables,  because  no  per¬ 
mit  could  be  obtained  from  the  Turkish  government  for  the  building  of 
houses,  and  when  permission  was  granted  they  were  transformed  into  resi¬ 
dences.  These  houses  are  well  shaded  with  eucalyptus  and  mulberry  trees. 

Ekron  occupies  an  area  of  10,000  D.  land,  upon  which  resides  a  popu¬ 
lation  of  323  souls  divided  into  46  families.  A  few  years  ago  twelve  fami¬ 
lies  from  Caucasia  settled  there  (mountain  Jews).  These  men  are  said  to 
be  the  terror  of  the  Arabs  in  the  neighborhood.  They  are  always  armed 
to  the  teeth. 

The  finest  structure  in  the  colony  is  the  schoolhouse,  known  as  Beth 
Hasefer.  It  is  literally  concealed  in  a  forest  of  trees  and  shrubbery  and 
surrounded  by  a  large  playground.  This  public  school  has  a  staff  of  five 
teachers,  two  of  whom  are  women,  and  about  eighty  pupils.14 

The  language  is  Hebrew,  and  the  school  differs  but  little  from  those  of 
the  other  colonies  in  program  or  method.15  The  synagogue  is  a  close  neigh¬ 
bor  of  the  school  and  is  also  used  as  a  Talmud  Torah,  where  instruction  in 
Biblical  and  religious  matters  is  given  in  Yiddish.  The  public  school  is 
entirely  maintained  by  the  Jewish  Colonization  Association,  while  the  Tal¬ 
mud  Torah  gets  its  support  from  a  Frankfort  organization.16 

The  pioneer  settlers  of  Ekron,  unlike  the  settlers  of  other  colonies, 
were  not  idealists.  They  were  brought  here  by  the  order  of  the  “Baron” 
because  they  were  practical  farmers.  As  a  rule  they  are  simple  folks, 

pious,  and  scrupulous  on  religious  matters.  Many  would  not  trust  their 
children  to  the  Beth  Hasefer,  where  secular  subjects  are  taught. 

Of  the  five  Philistine  cities  enumerated  in  the  Bible:  Gaza,  Askalon, 
Ashdod,  Gath  and  Ekron,  the  last  was  in  close  relation  with  the  Judean 

14  The  kindergarten  accommodates  30  children,  and  in  the  Talmud  Torah  47  children — 
30  boys  and  17  girls — receive  a  religious  education. 

15  See  “Rishon.” 

18 1  was  surprised  to  find  the  English  language  on  the  program  of  the  Talmud  Torah. 


H 


■  r  M...  <_»  *  * ♦ 


cities  situated  on  the  northern  frontier  of  Philistia  in  the  vale  of  Sorek, 
(Wady  es  Surar)17 18  through  which  a  road  passes  to  Jerusalem ;  and  south¬ 
west  about  four  miles  away  on  a  green  hill,  the  village  of  Jabne  is  con¬ 
spicuous.  Seeing  this  wretched  mass  of  mud  hovels  that  constitute  the 
present  village,  one  is  deeply  moved  by  the  thought  that  here,  under  the 
leadership  of  Bar  Kochba  (Son  of  the  Star),  the  last  Jewish  insurrection 
against  the  Romans  was  planned,  when  the  head  of  the  Rabbinical 
School  of  Jabne,  was  among  the  leaders  of  the  revolutionary  movement. 
It  was  this  now  insignificant  village  that — after  the  Holy  City  was  captured 
(in  “the  War  of  Vespasian”)  and  destroyed  by  Titus — became  the  centre 
of  Jewish  thought  and  learning.  Alas !  No  vestige  is  left  of  the  former  city 
except  one  small  ruin,  “Ruis  el  Yehud,”  which  is  said  to  be  a  relic  from 
the  days  of  Ben  Zakkai.  The  Greek  geographer  Strabo,  who  lived  shortly 
before  the  destruction  of  the  Temple  by  Titus,  testifies  that  this  place  only 
produced  40,000  soldiers.  The  population  must  have  been  cl®se  to  400, ooo19. 

Akier  or  modern  Ekron  was  discovered  half  a  century  ago  by  Dr.  Rob¬ 
inson.  The  modern  village  has  very  little  in  common  with  the  ancient  Phil¬ 
istine  stronghold..  Nothing  is  left  of  the  city  walls  or  of  the  temples  of 
the  gods  Dagon  and  Baal  Zebub. 

But  while  it  cannot  boast  of  magnificent  architectural  monuments,  the 
modern  Jewish  colony  may  take  pride  in  its  splendid  gardens,  its  rich  fields 
and  its  excellent  pasture  lands  which  were  conquered  not  at  the  point  of 
the  sword  but  through  self-sacrifice  and  wonderful  perseverance. 

In  the  year  1883  the  late  Rabbi  Samuel  Mohiliver,  of  Byalostok, 
assisted  by  the  late  Rabbi  Zadoc  Kahn  and  Michael  Erlanger,  received  the 
consent  of  Baron  Edmond  de  Rothschild  to  establish  a  new  colony  of  Rus¬ 
sian  Jews  in  Palestine,  provided  he  could  find  ten  skilled  agriculturists  who 
would  be  willing  to  settle  in  Palestine.  The  task  of  securing  the  proper 
men  was  assigned  to  Yechiel  Brill,  editor  of  the  Lebanon,  who  was  then 
in  Paris  on  a  similar  mission20.  He  discovered  in  a  small  town  in  the  gov¬ 
ernment  of  Grodno,  Russia,  a  body  of  men  that  met  the  requirements  and 
he  placed  himself  at  the  head  of  an  expedition  to  Palestine.  On  the  tenth 
day  of  December,  1883,  after  a  troublesome  journey,  they  arrived  in  Jaffa. 

For  over  a  year  they  worked  as  day  laborers  in  Mikveh  Yisrael.  When 
they  had  grown  accustomed  to  the  new  conditions,  a  tract  of  2,860  D.  of 

17  Judges  xvi  :4. 

18  After  David’s  victory  over  Goliath  in  Wady  es  Sumt,  the  Philistines  were  pursued  to 
Ekron.  Eusebius  and  Jerome  describe  Ekron  as  a  village  of  Jews  between  Ashdod  and 
Jamnia  towards  the  sea.  (Robinson,  Vol.  II.  p.  228.) 

18  Strabo,  Vol.  II,  228. 

34  Yesod  Hama'alah,  Mainz,  1883. 


EKRON 


95 


land  was  secured  for  them  in  the  kefr  Akier,  or  Ekron.  At  first  they 
operated  their  land  on  a  co-operative  basis,  but  they  soon  discovered  that 
it  was  not  practical.  The  colony  suffered  from  neglect.  One  depended  upon 
the  other  to  do  the  work.  They  then  divided  the  land  among  the  eleven 
families  that  constituted  the  population,  each  one  receiving  220  D.  of  land. 
(240  D.  was  set  aside  for  buildings  and  other  communal  purposes.) 

The  land  soon  became  inadequate  to  maintain  the  settled  population. 
Grown-up  sons  and  married  daughters  had  to  be  provided  with  land.  The 
new  sub-division  reduced  the  portion  of  land  for  a  family  to  100  D.,  which 
was  not  sufficient  to  yield  a  livelihood.  They  made  a  request  for  more  land, 
but  instead  of  granting  this  demand,  the  administration,  which  was  then 
governed  by  M.  Alfonso  Bloch,  added  seven  Roumanian  families  to  the 
colony.  This  action  strained  the  relations  between  the  colonists  and  the 
management,  but  did  not  discourage  the  Ekronites.  They  worked  with 
greater  zeal  almost  day  and  night  to  make  the  soil  yield  bread  for  their 
families. 

The  management  was  soon  convinced  that  the  demand  was  a  just  one 
and  purchased  1,000  D.  land  more.  The  last  addition,  however,  was  not  of 
much  benefit.  The  soil  was  sandy,  not  suitable  for  agricultural  pursuits, 
and  too  far  away  from  the  colony.  They  therefore  renewed  their  demand 
for  3,000  D.  more  land  in  the  vicinity  of  the  colony.  The  new  proposition 
was  not  agreeable  to  the  administration,  and  as  a  reply  notice  was  served 
on  the  colonists  that  the  management  would  rather  place  them  on  a  basis 
of  wage-earners  and  operate  the  land  as  a  whole  from  the  office  of  the 
administration.  This  counter  proposition  angered  the  dissatisfied  farmers 
to  the  extreme ;  for  when  they  were  removed  from  their  homesteads  in 
Russia,  it  was  with  a  distinct  understanding  that  they  would  be  provided 
with  sufficient  land.  They  certainly  had  not  intended  to  come  here  and 
work  as  farmhands.  They  summoned  Herr  Bloch  before  the  Rabbis  of 
Jerusalem.  The  Rabbinical  decision  was  in  favor  of  the  colonists;  that  the 
administration  had  no  right  to  deprive  them  of  the  land  they  were  prom¬ 
ised. 

This  decision  did  not  convince  Herr  Bloch  that  more  land  was  needed. 
He  was  of  the  opinion  that  agriculture  would  not  pay  in  Palestine,  and 
unless  they  occupied  themselves  with  fruit  culture,  there  could  be  no  pros¬ 
pects  for  material  improvements. 

Then  the  year  5649  (1888-89),  the  Sabbatical  year,  came.  The  Ekon* 
ites,  who  were  religiously  inclined  were  influenced  by  the  Rabbis  of  Jeru- 


96 


NEW  JUDEA 


salem  to  obeserve  Shemitah  (to  leave  the  land  fallow  for  a  year) .  This  ac¬ 
tion  destroyed  all  the  labors  of  many  years,  and  placed  the  several  families 
in  a  dependent  and  pitiful  condition.  They  were  literally  on  the  verge  of 
starvation  and  were  compelled  to  make  concessions  and  yield  to  the  demands 
of  the  administration  in  order  to  save  their  families.  They  were  willing  to 
change  the  corn  fields  into  groves  of  apricots,  almonds,  mulberry  and  olive 
trees.  But  the  change  was  to  be  effected  independently  of  individual  land¬ 
marks,  and  the  colonists  were  to  be  paid  as  supervising  workmen — a  condi¬ 
tion  which  it  was  impossible  for  them  to  accept  and  which  became  the  bone 
of  contention  between  both  sides.  They  would  not  give  up  their  title  to-  the 
land ;  consequently  unpleasantness,  quarrel  and  strife  reigned  in  the  colony. 
In  the  latter  part  of  1891  orders  were  issued  from  the  office  of  the  adminis¬ 
tration  not  to  pay  attention  to  individual  landmarks,  nor  even  to  the  houses 
of  the  colonists ;  the  entire  colony  must  be  operated  independent  of  rights 
or  title  of  the  settlers,  and  anyone  refusing  to  obey  the  order  of  the  admin¬ 
istration  would  have  no  claim  for  assistance.  Such  an  order,  as  might  be 
expected,  aroused  the  ire  of  some  settlers,  which  resulted  in  acts  of  violence. 
Herr  Brill,  supervisor  of  Ekron,  was  driven  out  from  the  colony,  and  his 
office  was  nailed  up.  The  action  of  the  colonists  was  not  well  advised,  for 
in  retort  militia  was  brought  from  Jaffa  and  all  the  colonists  were  ousted 
from  their  homesteads  and  brought  handcuffed  to  Jaffa.  Herr  Brill  evi¬ 
dently  had  not  considered  the  demoralizing  effect  such  an  act  would  have 
upon  the  Jews  all  over  the  world. 

About  one-fifth  of  the  expelled  Ekronites,  including  men,  women  and 
children,  left  for  Egypt  and  would  not  submit  to  the  will  of  the  adminis¬ 
tration.  The  others,  after  much  argument  and  persuasion,  yielded  to  the 
advices  of  friends  and  returned  to  the  colony. 

Not  until  the  year  when  the  administration  passed  over  to  the  Jewish 
Colonization  Association  was  peace  restored.  The  land  was  again  divided, 
each  family  receiving  from  100  to  150  D.,  according  to  the  size  of  the  house¬ 
hold.  Since  1904  the  “Ika”  has  withheld  assistance  from  the  Ekronites, 
and  they  rely  upon  their  own  resources. 

There  are  a  few  things,  however,  that  block  the  way  to  real  progress, 
namely,  the  “Osher”  (the  high  government  tax),  the  exorbitant  interest 
they  are  compelled  to  pay  to  the  Arab  money  lenders  of  the  village  Akier, 
and  the  old  deots  to  the  Ika,  which  they  are  required  to  pay  off  in  yearly 
installments  and  over  which  much  unpleasantness  occasionallv  arises.  An 
agrarian  bank  would  be  the  only  solution  to  these  perplexing  difficulties. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


THE  LAND  OF  OLIVES 

The  shortest  road  from  Ekron  to  the  Judean  Mountains  and  thence  to 
Jerusalem  is  through  the  Vady  es  Surar,  or  vale  of  Sorek.  This  valley 
begins  four  miles  southeast  of  Ekron  and  terminates  in  a  great  basin  at  a 
distance  of  sixteen  miles  with  the  low  hills  of  Judea1. 

The  little  Bulgarian  Jewish  colony,  Artuff,  is  in  the  centre  of  the 
basin.  Sura  (Zorah),  the  birthplace  of  Samson,  and  Eshua  (Eshtaol)  are 
on  a  slope  to  the  north,  and  Ein  Shemesh2  (Beth  Shemesh)  is  in  the  south3. 

The  entire  territory  is  pregnant  with  historical  reminiscences.  There 
“The  child  Samson  grew  up  and  the  Lord  blessed  him,  and  the  spirit  of 
the  Lord  began  to  move  him  in  the  camp  of  Dan  between  Zorah  and 
Eshtaol.”  4 

The  entire  valley,  as  seen  from  the  villages  of  the  Judean  hill,  is  as 
fertile  today  as  in  the  days  of  yore.  All  over  are  fields  of  corn  and  olive 
groves,  the  broad  brook  of  Rubin  and  its  tributary  pebbly  streams,  screened 
by  walls  of  oleanders,  are  seen,  and  beyond  is  the  Philistine  Plain  with  its 
miles  of  corn  and  pasture  lands  studded  with  milliards  of  wild  flowers. 
Along  this  picturesque  valley  of  Sorek  -we  were  pursuing  our  course  to 
Hulda  where  the  Jewish  National  Fund  has  planted  a  large  olive  grove 
in  memory  of  the  late  Theodore  Herzl.  We  emerged  from  the  corn  fields 
of  Ekron,  passed  the  ruins  of  Beitfar.  The  road  became  uneven,  full  of 
steep  hills  and  deep  ravines.  Going  down  these  deep  holes  in  a  carriage, 
one  has  the  sensation  of  sliding  down  the  “Shoot  the  Chutes”  of  our  Ameri¬ 
can  pleasure  parks.  I  confess  that  these  up  and  down  shakes  give  little 
enjoyment,  even  to  loyal  Zionists.  We  were  glad  to  reach  the  last  slope 
where  the  village  of  Hulda  was  situated. 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon.  The  rich  glow  of  the  golden  sun  as  it 
set  on  the  Judean  mountains,  was  an  inspiring  sight,  even  the  blue  hills 
of  the  east  and  north  appeared  to  have  enjoyed  the  reflection  of  the  setting 
sun. 

Ibrahim,  like  Eliezer,  stopped  at  the  village  well  to  give  drink  to  his 
animals,  and  “the  daughters  of  the  men  of  the  city  came  out  to  draw 
water.”5 

According  to  Robinson,  it  passes  obliquely  into  the  sea  (Robinson,  Vol.  II,  p.  227). 

2  Josh.  XIX:  41. 

s  In  coming  from  Ekron  to  Beth  Shemesh  we  follow  the  shortest  way  to  the  Judean 
mountains.  It  is  the  road  taken  by  the  cart  on  which  the  Ark  was  sent  back  (I  Sam.  v:10; 
vi :1-18). 

4  Judges  xiii:24. 

5  Gen.  XXIV:  11. 


97 


98 


NEW  JUDEA 


Two  Rebeccas  came  down  the  village  hill  carrying  large  jars  on  their 
heads,  and  when  they  filled  these  vessels  with  water,  others  came,  and  still 
others.  I  watched  with  great  interest  the  procession  of  these  quiet  and 
erect  figures  clothed  in  their  faded  draperies  of  all  colors,  with  the  large 
jars  on  their  heads,  walking  towards  the  sunset.  Their  erect  carriage  and 
graceful  gait  rendered  them  attractive,  at  least  from  a  distance. 

The  native  women  of  Hulda,  by  what  we  saw,  deserved  our  respectful 
admiration,  for  they  did  not  stop  to  gossip  at  the  well  as  is  customary. 
Neither  did  they  stare  at  us,  nor  did  they  send  their  young  ones  to  us  for 
“Bakshish.’5  They  simply  passed  us,  smiling  a  friendly  welcome. 

The  women  here  made  no  attempt  to  veil  their  faces  as  is  customary 
in  Palestinian  towns.  The  faces  of  some  were  disfigured  with  tatooed 
signs  of  circles,  stars  and  lines  in  dark  blue  color. 

Their  gowns  were  straight  and  long,  of  white  or  blue  color,  and  had 
a  red  band  passing  diagonally  from  the  shoulder  around  the  waist  to  the 
skirt.  The  red  girdles  and  white  shawls  covering  their  heads,  completed 
their  costumes.  While  these  damsels  were  parading  to  and  from  the  well, 
a  number  of  male  inhabitants  were  departing  on  horseback  from  the  vil¬ 
lage,  each  clothed  in  an  “Abba,”  a  black  horse  hair  coil  on  his  head,  with 
antiquated  rifle  on  his  back.  They  appeared  like  warriors  as  they  galloped 
down  the  hill.  They  evidently  went  to  bring  the  cattle  home  from  the 
fields,  for  when  we  returned  a  large  herd  was  coming  in  and  a  cloud  of 
dust  marked  its  progress. 

The  cattle  of  Palestine,  as  a  rule,  are  small,  and  decidedly  inferior 
to  those  of  America.  The  cause  undoubtedly  lies  in  the  scanty  pasture  land 
of  a  country  laid  waste  for  many  centuries  by  frequent  wars  and  bad 
government.  The  cattle  of  Hulda,  however,  were  in  a  fairly  good  con¬ 
dition.  The  coming  in  of  the  cattle  caused  a  good  deal  of  merriment  to  the 
little  children  who  rushed  out  to  meet  them,  each  one  running  for  its  pet 
lamb  or  colt. 

A  most  pleasant  spectacle  is  to  watch  under  the  brilliant  and  clear 
sky  of  Palestine  a  flock  of  white  sheep  as  they  spread  over  the  green  mead¬ 
ows,  running  and  frolicking  around  the  well,  the  shepherd  in  the  centre 
of  the  flock  playing  on  his  flute  and!  keeping  watch  over  them ;  a  picture 
so  well  painted  by  the  Shepherd  King — “The  Lord  is  my  Shepherd,  I  shall 
not  want.  He  maketh  me  to  lie  down  in  green  pastures,  and  leadeth  me 
beside  the  still  waters.”  9 


6  Ps.  xxiii. 


THE  LAND' OF  OLIVES 


99 


We  walked  up  the  hill  where  the  Herzl  grove  was  to  be.  There  was 
nothing  there  except  a  building  in  process  of  erection,  and  on  the 
slope  of  the  hill  was  a  nursery  for  young  olives  that  were  to  be  transplanted 
in  the  “Herzl  Wald.”  Herr  Giller,  the  contractor,  was  kind  enough  to 
show  us  the  plans  of  the  National  Fund  structure,  a  beautiful  edifice  of 
white  limestone  two  stories  high ;  the  lower  one  was  to  be  used  as  an 
office  and  as  a  lodging  place  for  laborers,  the  upper  one  to  be  occupied 
as  a  botanical  laboratory. 

The  soil  of  the  prospective  grove  was  stony,  said  to  be  good  for  olive 
culture.  The  plot  extends  from  the  village  of  Hulda  to  the  Jaffa- Jerusalem 
Railroad  tracks  and  contains  altogether  about  2000  D.  The  Herzl  Wald, 
when  all  planted  with  olive  trees,  will  offer  a  livelihood  to  many  Jewish 
laborers.  Thanks  to  the  untiring  energy  of  Herr  W.,  the  present  agri¬ 
cultural  expert  who  is  the  supervisor  of  the  grove,  many  thousands  of 
olive  trees  are  being  planted  there  in  memory  of  the  Zionist  leader  by  as 
many  of  his  admirers.  (Note  8.). 

The  price  of  planting  a  tree  is  one  dollar  and  a  half. 

This  and  a  similar  grove  at  Lydda  are  under  the  same  management ; 
both  bear  the  name,  “Ben  Shemen.” 

The  Jewish  National  Fund,  through  its  genial  and  devoted  agent, 
Herr  Wilkanski,  makes  every  effort  to  promote  fellowship  and  to  implant 
a  real  Jewish  spirit  among  the  inmates  of  “Ben  Shemen,”  and  out  of  the 
hitherto  untrained  “Galuth  Youths”  a  Jewish  peasantry  of  men  and 
women,  is  being  developed,  who  are  becoming  splendid  farmers. 

A  good  deal  of  the  time  is  devoted  to  olive  culture  experiments,  for 
next  to  the  vine,  Palestinians  depend  in  a  great  measure  for  their  livelihood 
upon  the  products  of  the  olive  tree.  From  time  immemorial,  this  tree  has 
been  abundantly  cultivated  in  Palestine.  In  most  instances  the  tree  is  not 
planted,  but  grows  spontaneously  among  the  bushes  which  cover  extensive 
portions  of  the  country.  The  soil  and  climate  seem  to  be  highly  favorable 
for  its  cultivation,  and  its  output  in  modern  as  well  as  in  ancient  times  has 
not  only  supplied  their  own  wants,  but  also  enabled  them  to  export  large 
quantities  of  olives  to  other  lands.  Indeed,  Palestine  is  “a  land  of  olives.” 

The  olive  tree  needs  little  attention,  aside  from  annually  plowing  the 
ground  whereon  it  grows.  The  produce  is  very  remunerative,  for  a  large 
tree  in  a  good  season  will  yield  as  much  as  fifteen  gallons  of  oil.  The  oil 
of  Palestinian  olives  is  considered  the  best  in  the  market,  and  would  be 
retailed  in  America  at  one  dollar  a  quart,  the  market  price  of  California  or 
Italian  oils. 


100 


NEW  JUDEA 


In  "he  Ear  r  olive  oil  is  an  indispensable  article  of  food  and  is  a  substi¬ 
tute  for  bi  tier.  The  finest  olives  are  not  only  cultivated  for  the  oil,  but  also 
are  used  as  food.  The  Palestinian  peasant  is  in  the  habit  of  taking  several 
olives  between  two  slices  of  bread  and  making  a  meal  out  of  it.  Olive  oil 
is  also  used  for  illumination,  as  well  as  in  the  manufacture  of  the  best  soap. 
The  wood  of  the  olive  tree  has  always  been  in  demand.  It  is  a  light  reddish 
wood,  irregularly  grained,  hard  but  not  heavy,  and  is  used  for  ornamental 
carved  work.  Various  articles,  made  by  the  Jerusalem  Jews  of  olive  wood, 
find  a  sale  among  tourists,  as  souvenirs.  One,  therefore,  is  not  surprised 
that  strong  efforts  are  being  made  to  introduce  the  olive  tree  into  the  Jewish 
colonies. 

It  was  dark  when  we  left  Hulda.  It  was  a  beautiful  evening;  the  air 
was  saturated  with  the  perfumes  of  numberless  blooming  flowers,  and 
freshly  cut  grass  and  grain.  We  passed  many  Arab  villages,  at  the  gates 
of  which  men  were  sitting  cross-legged,  chatting  and  smoking  the  Narghi- 
leh.  This  graceful  object  in  front  of  the  smokers  made  them  in  this  posi¬ 
tion  appear  as  though  they  were  worshipping  idols. 

On  our  return  we  did  not  heed  the  rattling  and  rumbling  of  Ibrahim’s 
vehicle.  Ibrahim  had  gained  our  confidence  as  an  expert  driver ;  further¬ 
more,  a  minor  infelicity  was  not  strong  enough  to  spoil  the  delight  and 
inspiration  this  evening  trip  had  given  us. 

To  indulge  in  song,  however,  was  impossible,  the  jolting  of  the  vehicle 
being  so  marked  that  it  was  difficult  to  utter  a  sound  or  even  to  comment 
on  the  refreshing  breeze.  We  soon  reached  the  olive  orchards  of  Ramleh, 
and  through  these  famous  orchards  which  are  also  rich  in  almonds,  pome¬ 
granates,  apricots  and  other  fruit  trees,  we  traveled  about  an  hour.  The 
road  between  these  rows  of  trees  is  tolerably  good,  and  the  passage  was  cer¬ 
tainly  a  memorable  one.  This  grove  is  said  to  be  the  largest  in  Palestine. 
Some  years  ago  a  part  of  this  grove  was  offered  for  sale,  and  Jewish  specu¬ 
lators  negotiated  to  buy  it,  but  could  not  agree  on  the  price.  Now  the 
value  is  many  times  as  high,  and  the  owners  will  not  sell  it. 

It  was  9  o’clock  in  the  evening  when  we  reached  Ramleh7.  We  arranged 
for  quarters  at  the  German  Hotel  Reinhard,  the  only  place  where  one  can 
get  a  clean  and  comfortable  lodging  in  Ramleh,  unless  one  chooses  the 
Franciscan  Convent. 

8  It  is  not  Ramah,  as  erroneously  thought  by  Benjamin  of  Tudela,  who  connects  it  with 
the  burial  place  of  Samuel  the  prophet  and  relates  the  fable  of  the  bones  of  Samuel  that 
the  Christians  have  removed  to  Shiloh,  where  they  erected  a  house  of  worship  (St.  Samuel). 
See  Benjamin  of  Tudela,  p.  87.  Early  Travelers  in  Palestine,  Bohn’s  Series. 

The  founder  of  Ramleh  is  Solomon,  the  son  of  Abd-El-Melek,  wTho  built  it  after  Lydda 
was  destroyed  (716  C.  E.).  See  Robinson,  II,  p.  236.  See  Abul  Feda  Ed.  Kohler,  p.  79. 


THE  LAND  OF  OLIVES 


101 


The  supper  was  purely  vegetarian.  I  cannot  recollect  how  many  kinds 
of  vegetables  were  displayed  on  the  table,  but  it  was  more  than  half  a 
dozen.  Everything  was  well  prepared  and  was  greatly  relished  by  the 
entire  party.  We  heard  Ibrahim  in  the  adjoining  room  uttering  several 
times  “taiyib,  taiyib”  (good,  good).  This  was  the  last  time  Ibrahim  feasted 
with  us,  for  after  supper  we  presented  him  with  a  “Bakshish/’  and  he 
departed  from  us  with  a  farewell  greeting,  “Humdillah  Salamah”(May  God 
preserve  you),  at  the  same  time  touching  his  right  hand  lightly  to  his  breast, 
then  the  lips  and  then  his  forehead. 

We  were  up  with  early  dawn,  the  bells  of  the  mediaeval  convents  were 
ringing.  Through  the  window  of  my  room  could  be  seen  minarets  and 
spires  crowded  together  in  this  pretty  little  town  with  perfect  accord. 

On  the  minaret  of  the  chief  mosque  (Jami  el-Kabir,  or  white  mosque) 
was  standing  the  Muezzin  as  he  was  calling  from  that  lofty  gallery,  sum¬ 
moning  men  to  prayer.  His  tremulous,  wailing  voice,  once  heard,  is  easily 
recognizable,  each  phrase  of  the  famous  call  to  prayer  being  repeated  before 
passing  to  the  next.  At  the  conclusion,  the  entire  formula  is  repeated  in  a 
different  tune  and  faster  than  at  first.  It  runs  as  follows : 

Allah  hu  akbar ! 

La  Ilah  Ilia  Allah  : 

Siadnah  Mohammed  Resoul  Allah 

Hayah  Allah  II  Salah ! 

Hayah  Illah  II  Fallah! 

God  is  great! 

There  is  but  one  God: 

Our  Lord  Mohammed  is  His  Prophet. 

Come  to  prayer ! 

Come  to  worship ! 

The  effect  upon  the  listener  to  the  call  of  the  Muezzin  when  heard 
from  a  distance  is  a  favorable  one,  and  from  a  Jewish  point  of  view  is 
interesting  inasmuch  as  the  practice  of  calling  to  worship  is  an  old  Jewish 
custom  still  in  vogue  among  Jews  of  Eastern  Europe.9 

Did  the  Mohammedans  borrow  this  from  their  ancient  Jewish  neigh¬ 
bors  ? 


0  Others  have  said  the  .Tews  chose  the  sound  of  the  Shofar,  the  Christians  were  pleased 
witii  the  music  of  bells,  but  Mohammed  thought  the  human  voice  in  a  higher  degree  partook 
of  the  divine. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


THE  HOME  OF  THE  HASMONEANS 

I  left  the  hotel  before  breakfast  to  get  a  view  of  the  town,  as  the  train 
for  Jerusalem  was  to  pass  the  station  at  7.45  A.M.  and  I  had  not  much  time 
to  spare.  The  early  morning  sky  was  clear  and  fair,  the  air  was  fresh,  a 
mild  wind  blew  with  the  dawn  of  the  day  and  the  sun  was  rising  from 
behind  the  Mountains  of  Judah  through  the  vaporous  air.  From  the  hedges 
of  the  cactus  plants  large  transparent  beads  of  dew  drops  hung  sparkling 
like  diamonds. 

The  wet  meadows  where  the  Cross  and  the  Crescent  battled  for  mas¬ 
tery  of  the  Holy  Land  in  the  days  of  the  Crusades  were  dotted  with  red- 
legged  storks,  and  the  cheering  salutes  of  song-birds  were  heard  from  the 
tops  of  swaying  cypresses.  But  the  most  admirable  view  of  Ramleh  and 
its  environs  can  best  be  obtained  when  looking  from  the  tower  of  the  medi¬ 
aeval  mosque.1  Walking  up  the  winding  staircase  to  the  top  gallery,  one 
finds  himself  at  a  height  of  500  feet  above  the  sea  level,  and  a  remarkable 
panorama  presents  itself.  Toward  the  south  the  large  olive  plantations ; 
toward  the  north  as  far  as  the  Carmel  stretches  out  tne  beautiful  fertile 
plain  of  Sharon ;  to  the  west,  the  silvery  band  of  the  Mediterranean,  and 
to  the  east  the  mountains  of  Judea  and  Ephraim  are  clearly  seen. 

The  plain  appeared  on  that  early  morning  like  a  sea  and  the  low  hills 
like  small  islands.  It  was  the  usual  heavy  fog  that  rested  on  the  entire  plain. 
This  fog  is  brought  about  by  the  moist  western  wind  coming  from  the 
sea  to  be  condensed  by  the  cold  air  of  the  night.  It  is  due  to  this  moist 
air  that  all  vegetables  do  not  perish  from  the  intense  heat  of  the  day  during 
the  summer  months,  from  May  to  October,  when  there  is  no  rain  and  the 
sun  burns  day  after  day  and  makes  the  soil  as  hard  as  a  rock.  This  fog 
spreads  over  miles  of  the  plain,  watering  the  entire  surface  during  the 
night,  and  is  responsible  for  the  fertility  of  the  Sharon. 

With  the  rise  of  the  sun  the  mist  is  transformed  into  many  white  clouds, 
that  are  soon  separated  as  they  pass  the  mountainside  and  disappear  with 

1  This  mosque  is  said  to  have  been  built  by  the  founder  of  the  town,  and  it  is  considered 
a  model  of  beautiful  masonry. 


102 


THE  HOME  OF  THE  HASMONEANS 


103 

the  increasing  heat.  Thus  said  the  Prophet,  “For  your  goodness  is  as  a 
morning  cloud,  and  as  the  dew  it  goes  away”2. 

Ramleh,  from  a  Jewish  historical  point  of  view,  is  of  little  significance. 
It  is  of  Arabic  origin,  as  its  name  indicates  (Ramleh  meaning  sandy). 
With  the  decline  of  Lydda,  Ramleh  began  to  prosper,  so  that  at  one  time  it 
was  larger  than  Jerusalem.  It  experienced  the  varying  fortunes  of  the 
wars  of  the  Crusades  and  was  twice  captured  by  Saladin. 

For  some  reason  Ramleh  never  had  a  Jewish  community  of  any  size. 
Twenty-four  years  ago  the  Jews  of  Jerusalem,  with  the  assistance  of  the 
Society  Lmaan  Zion  of  Germany,  established  there  twenty-five  Jewish  fami¬ 
lies,  but  that  settlement  was  not  of  long  duration.  These  settlers  were  not 
accustomed  to  manual  labor,  and  the  German  organization  would  not  keep 
them  on  the  pay  list,  so  most  of  them  returned  to  Jerusalem.  A  number 
of  workingmen  who  remained  in  Ramleh  were  afterward  compelled  to 
leave  because  of  lack  of  school  facilities.  At  present  there  are  only  a  few 
Jewish  families,  among  them  a  “Shochet,”  who  is  also  the  Hebrew  teacher 
to  the  few  children. 

Quite  recently  an  American  Jew  purchased  a  tract  of  cultivated  land 
near  the  railroad  station,  where  he  is  building  a  modern  house.  He  also 
contemplates  building  a  hotel  on  his  property.  Owing  to  the  fact  that  Ram¬ 
leh  is  situated  in  the  centre  of  many  Jewish  colonies  and(  the  colonists  come 
here  to  take  the  train  for  Jerusalem,  it  is  destined  in  the  near  future  to 
become  a  Jewish  centre. 

The  present  population  is  about  15,000;  of  whom  2000  are  Christians. 
The  orchards  around  Ramleh,  as  stated  above,  are  luxuriant ;  there  also 
are  many  palm  trees.  The  fields  are  enclosed  by  high,  impenetrable  cactus 
hedges,  in  which  wild  pigeons  build  their  nests.  The  climate  is  healthy  and 
mild,  and  during  the  summer  months  many  visitors  come  here  from  Jeru¬ 
salem. 

When  I  returned  to  the  hotel,  I  found  my  friends  impatiently  waiting 
for  me,  as  it  was  time  to  get  to  the  railroad  station.  In  about  half  an  hour 
we  were  on  the  train.  When  the  train  began  to  pull  out  from  the  modest 
little  station,  I  searched  my  pockets  and,  to  my  sorrow,  I  discovered  that 
my  purse  was  gone,  and  as  I  had  no  desire  to  be  a  candidate  for  the  ’Halu- 
kah  in  Jerusalem,  I  jumped  down  from  the  car  and  hurried  to  the  hotel.  I 
found  Azizeh,  the  chambermaid,  in  my  bedroom  holding  the  folder  wherein 
traveling  checques  and  some  bills  were  kept.  Poor  Azizeh  had  no  know¬ 
ledge  of  checques  and  bills,  and  instead  of  starting  an  argument  with 


*  Hos.  VI:  4. 


104 


NEW  JUDEA 


her  which  would  place  me  at  a  disadvantage,  I  paid  her  two  Bisliks  (22 
cents  American  money).  She  placed  the  folder  in  my  hand,  saying,  “Khud, 
Kattar  Illah  Kheirak.”  (Take,  God  increase  your  goods.)  I  was  afterward 
informed  that  if  Daud  (David),  the  porter,  had  gone  up  to  straighten  my 
room,  it  would  have  cost  me  more  than  two  bisliks,  as  he  knows  too  much 
about  American  money. 

I  was  obliged  to  remain  six  hours  waiting  for  the  next  train  for  Jeru¬ 
salem,  and  I  decided  to  see  the  historic  village  Lydda,  or  Lud,  now  a  rail¬ 
road  station  near  Ramleh,  and  in  the  company  of  a  colonist  of  Rechoboth  1 
reached  Lydda  in  one  hour’s  time3. 

Like  many  other  towns  in  that  country,  Lydda  had  seen  better  days 
in  the  good  old  times,  but  being  the  most  important  city  on  the  way  to  the 
Judean  capital,  it  became  a  strategic  centre  for  all  attacking  armies.  Lydda, 
therefore,  has  participated  in  all  the  misfortunes  of  the  country  due  to 
wars  and  invasions,  that  culminated  in  the  Babylonion  deportation,  Mace¬ 
donian  attacks  and  Roman  cruelty. 

Cassius,  a  Roman  general,  after  having  ravaged  the  country,  sold  the 
inhabitants  of  Lydda  as  slaves ;  and  Cestius  Gallus,  the  Roman  pro-consul 
under  Nero,  came  here  from  Antipatris,  burned  the  city  and  then  advanced 
on  Jerusalem4.  The  people  appear  to  have  been  giants.  Nehemiah  calls 
the  city  “the  valley  of  craftsmen’’  (“Gei-haharashim”).  Of  the  children  of 
the  exiles  of  Lydda,  725  returned  from  Babylonia5 * *.  After  the  dispersion  of 
the  Judeans  and  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  Lydda,  like  Jabne,  became  a 
centre  of  Jewish  learning8.  Lydda  was  finally  emptied  of  everything  Jew¬ 
ish  and  became  pagan  under  the  name  of  Diospolis  under  Septimius  Severus, 
202  C.  E.T 

Lydda  was  a  mercantile  city,  and  its  merchants  (Tagrei  Lud)  were 
famous  in  the  Talmudic  days  (curiously  enough  it  has  to  this  day  pre¬ 
served  the  largest  cattle  market  in  Palestine).  Very  little,  however,  is  left 
of  the  old  Jewish  metropolis,  the  few  remaining  ruins  being  probably  from 
the  Roman  days. 

Christian  tradition  has  it  that  Lydda  is  the  birthplace  of  the  patron 

3  Built  by  Benjaminites  (I  Chron.  VI:  12).  See  also  Ezra  11:33;  Neh.  XI :  35. 

4  Joseph,  B.  J.,  2:19;  1.  Not  long  after  it  surrendered  to  Vespasian,  ibid. 

8  Ezra  11:33;  Nehemiah  VII:  37. 

8  Robinson,  Vol.  II:  245. 

*  Historical  Geography  of  Palestine,  p.  161,  by  George  Adam  Smith. 


THE  HOME  OF  THE  HASMONEANS 


105 


saint  of  England,  St.  George.8  A  church  of  ancient  architecture  is  erected 
over  his  burial  place. 

But  despite  the  ruins  that  have  crept  over  the  country,  I  have  rarely 
witnessed  a  rural  scene  more  pleasing  than  that  presented  in  the  fields  of 
Lydda.  The  native  fellahin  have  the  reputation  of  being  thrifty  and  indus¬ 
trious,  and  the  town  is  surrounded  by  groves  and  orchards. 

Many  attempts  have  been  made  to  found  a  Jewish  settlement  here. 
Some  years  ago,  after  the  anti- Jewish  outbreaks  in  Russia,  the  orphans  of 
the  victims  of  Kishinev  were  brought  here.  A  school  was  built — “Kiryath 
Sefer”  (the  school  city) — under  the  supervision  of  Israel  Belkind,  but  for 
lack  of  funds  it  had  soon  to  be  given  up ;  nor  did  the  soap  factory  and  per¬ 
fume  industry  (founded  by  the  “Athid’’  on  the  National  Fund  land  “Beth 
Ariff”)  make  any  headway.  The  efforts  of  the  National  Fund  and  Bezalel 
Society,  however,  appear  to  have  been  more  successful.  The  first  has  been 
planting  there  a  large  olive  grove  (Ben  Shemen),  where  eighty  Jewish 
young  men  are  steadily  occupied,  and  the  second  has  erected  a  silver  manu¬ 
facturing  establishment  where  ten  Yemenite  families  find  work.  It  is  hoped 
that  more  work  will  soon  be  found  on  this  delightful  spot  to  attract  new¬ 
comers. 

On  the  top  of  a  hill  a  few  miles  east  of  Lydda  are  seen  some  mud,  and 
stone  houses  where  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  Arabs  reside.  They  have 
called  this  village  Midieh  from  father  to  son,  unconscious  as  usual  of  any 
historical  significance.  In  1866  a  German  explorer  came  to  this  village  and 

spent  several  days  in  measuring  and  studying  its  site.  When  he  left  he 
was  convinced  that  the  small  mountain  of  Midieh  is  the  site  of  the  birth¬ 
place  of  the  Maccabean  family.  This  place  has  since  generally  been  recog¬ 
nized  beyond  question  as  “Modin,”  the  home  of  the  Asmoneans. 

Other  travelers,  Guerin,  for  example,  discovered  ruins  which  appear 
to  be  those  of  the  famous  burial  place  of  the  Maccabeans.9  Mauss,  another 
German  traveler,  has  even  made  out  the  burial  places  in  these  tombs  as 
exactly  seven,  the  number  in  the  Maccabean  sepulchre.  The  rocks  showed 
spots  on  which  pyramids  formerly  stood  connected  with  the  original  struc¬ 
ture,  as  recorded  in  I  Maccabees  xiii :  29.  Fragments  of  the  pyramids  were 
found,  and  other  monuments  covered  with  carved  emblems  of  naval  and 
military  triumphs  were  also  afterward  discovered.  These  tombstones  were 
placed  by  the  last  survivor,  Simon  Tharsi,  for  his  father,  mother  and  four 

8  The  saint,  it  is  declared,  was  a  Greek  who  carried  Christianity  to  England  about  the 
year  290.  Later  he  returned  to  Syria.  He  was  a  staunch  defender  of  the  persecuted  Chris¬ 
tians  at  Thessaloniea.  lie  was  a  soldier,  and  his  valor  won  recognition  at  a  later  day  by 
the  adherents  of  two  faiths,  the  Christians  honoring  him  as  St.  George  and  the  Moslems 
as  El  Khudr. 

9  Maccabee,  strictly  speaking,  should  be  used  as  cognomen  of  Judas — however,  popular 
usage  has  almost  made  it  supplant  Asmonean. 


106 


NEW  JUDEA 


K 


brothers,  reserving  a  space  for  himself  as  the  seventh.  Indeed,  one  is 
moved  with  compassion  looking  upon  this  dilapidated  and  deserted  place, 
and  reflecting  that  here  stood  the  cradles  of  our  fearless  martyrs  whose 
heroism  became  proverbial  in  the  history  of  all  mankind,  and  that  here  rest 
the  remains  of  the  Judean  patriots  who  kindled  a  spirit  of  enthusiasm  among 
their  fellow  Judeans,  and  set  the  example  of  a  courageous  resistance  instead 
of  inactive  despair — a  lesson  that  has  resulted  in  securing  the  existence  of 
Judaism  for  all  ages. 

I  left  the  place,  meditating  over  the  proclamation  of  Mattathias,  “If 
all  the  people  in  the  Kingdom  obey  the  order  of  the  monarch  to  depart 
from  the  faith  of  their  fathers,  I  and  my  sons  will  abide  by  the  covenant  of 
our  forefathers  !”10 

“Long  years  have  passed  and  Israel  has  sunk  back  into  inactivity  and 
despair.  The  heroes  of  Modin,”  thought  I,  “have  been  lost  sight  of,  and 
even  the  feast  of  Chanukah  has  lost  its  true  significance.  It  is  no  longer  a 
day  of  jubilation  over  bravery,  but  has  become  a  commemoration  of  a  mira¬ 
cle,  of  oil  that  burned  longer  than  it  should.  The  true  lesson  to  be  derived 
from  Chanukah  has  been  lost  in  a  mass  of  legends.” 

It  is  only  lately  that  the  current  of  national  Jewish  sentiment  has 
brought  back  the  true  Maccabeean  spirit  to  modern  Jewry.  Jews  from  all 
over  Palestine  visit  Modin  during  the  days  of  Chanukah.  The  gallant  sons 
of  the  Jewish  colonists,  the  teachers  and  students  of  the  Jaffa  Gymnasia 
and  pupils  of  other  schools  make  their  annual  pilgrimage  on  horseback. 
The  young  Maccabees  receive  an  inspiring  lesson  on  the  graves  of  the 
old  ones. 

Modin  is  the  Palestinian  amusement  place  during  Chanukah.  The 
heroism  of  the  Maccabees  is  being  symbolized  by  the  young  Judeans  in  ath¬ 
letic  games  and  other  open-air  amusements,  and  Maccabeean  societies  are 
being  organized  by  Jews  of  all  lands  with  the  object  of  bringing 
back  the  Maccabeean  spirit  to  modern  Jewry. 


8 1  Macc.  11 :  20. 


CHAPTER  XV. 


ON  THE  HEIGHTS  OF  JUDEA 

It  was  about  2  o’clock  on  a  fine  Friday  afternoon.  I  was  the  only  pas¬ 
senger  standing  on  the  lonely  little  platform  of  the  railway  station  at  Lydda 
waiting  for  the  scheduled  train  for  Jerusalem  to  arrive.  Perfect  calmness 
reigned  over  the  entire  atmosphere.  No  sound  was  heard,  except  at  some 
intervals  the  echo  of  the  shepherd’s  voice  as  he  called  back  the  straying 
sheep  and  the  sounds  of  the  bleating  flock.  But  never  did  silence  and  calm¬ 
ness  appear  so  gratifying  as  at  this  moment.  The  intense  blue  of  the  sky, 
the  agreeable  brightness  of  the  sunlight,  the  cool  stillness  and  freshness  of 
the  air,  the  grandeur  and  enchantment  of  the  blooming  fields  and  charming 
groves  and,  above  all,  the  expectation  of  being,  in  a  few  hours,  within  the 
walls  of  old  Jerusalem,  walking  upon  familiar  historical  grounds,  gazing 
upon  the  ruins  of  the  capital  of  David  and  Solomon,  and  looking  upon  the 
tombs  of  prophets  and  judges,  all  this  was  enough  to  keep  one’s  mind  deeply 
absorbed.  Indeed,  I  arose  as  from  a  dream  when  the  little  engine  puffed 
into  the  station  and  when  I  heard  the  voice  of  my  friend,  Mr.  I.  K.,  of 
Greensburg,  Pa.,  addressing  me  in  English  through  an  open  window  of  a 
car,  inviting  me  to  a  vacant  seat  near  him. 

The  passengers  on  board  the  train  were  predominantly  Jewish,  speak¬ 
ing  either  Hebrew  or  Yiddish ;  even  the  Arab  conductor  addressed  me  in 
Yiddish  wThen  collecting  my  ticket.  I  was  for  the  first  time  impressed  with 
the  fact  that  I  was  traveling  in  a  Jewish  land  or,  rather,  in  a  land  of  Jews, 
for  these  few  cars  contained  a  heterogeneous  element  of  Jews,  a  “Kibbuz 
Galuyoth”  (a  gathering  of  Exiles).  Jews  of  all  lands,  of  different  cul¬ 
tures  and  environments,  were  gathered  within  the  little  space  of  two  cars. 
At  one  end  of  my  car  was  a  group  which  may  be  classed  as  <(Jerusa^em 
Jews,”  a  Galician  Chasidic  type,  recognized  by  their  rugged  beards  and 
long  curly  earlocks,  the  long  caftan  and  black  skull  cap,  the  colored  girdle 
around  the  waist,  and  the  pantaloons,  from  which  emerged  a  pair  of  white 
stockings  up  to  the  knee.  These  pious  Jerusalemites  appeared  to  have  had 
a  heated  conversation.  They  were  talking  in  duets,  trios  or  quartets,  in  a 
sing-song  manner,  swinging  their  right  arms  as  they  proceeded,  often  dis¬ 
playing  the  right  thumb  as  though  that  were  the  most  important  organ  of 
speech. 


107 


108 


NEW  JUDEA 


Back  of  these  were  assembled  men  of  another  element,  whom  I  pre¬ 
sumed  to  be  merchants.  They  were  absorbed  figuring  in  small  pocketbooks, 
now  and  then  taking  out  from  a  purse  some  coins  and  counting,  and  again 
a  glance  at  a  page  of  the  little  book.  In  manners  and  attire  they  differed 
little  from  the  Lithuanian  merchant. 

A  crowd  at  the  centre  of  the  car,  watching  through  the  windows  and 
exhibiting  great  interest  in  the  passing  sceneries  and  flying  fields,  attracted 
my  attention.  These  men  represented  the.  Jewish  agricultural  element  of 
Palestine.  They  were  sunburnt,  robust-looking,  and  appeared  in  the  best 
physical  condition.  In  my  judgment,  they  were  the  nearest  approach  to 
what  may  be  termed  a  Jewish  peasant  class,  or  a  Palestinian  Jewish  type 
in  process  of  development;  a  class  of  people  in  whom  are  gradually  being 
blended  man  of  the  book  and  tiller  of  the  soil,  merchant  and  farmer,  revolu¬ 
tionary  idealist  and  patient  agriculturist. 

I  regret,  however,  that  I  had  no  opportunity  to  acquaint  myself  with 
these  interesting  people,  to  study  them  at  closer  range,  for  I  was  soon 
drawn  into  a  company  of  young  Palestinians,  of  charming  personalities 
who  sat  immediately  in  front  of  me. 

Among  this  new  element  I  met  young  Ben  Abi  of  Jerusalem,  the 
gifted  son  of  the  famous  Hebrew  scholar  and  lexicographer,  Ben  Yehu- 
dah.  This  young  journalist  was  talking  to  a  group  of  amateur  actors 
and  actresses  in  a  pleasant  and  ringing  voice,  and  in  a  most  charming 
Hebrew  dialect  which,  by  the  way,  is  his  native  tongue,  for  Ben  Abi  has 
the  enviable  distinction  of  being  the  first  born  Palestinian  who  was  rocked 
and  nursed  in  a  Hebrew  atmosphere,  whose  very  first  utterance  was  the 
Hebrew  syllable  “Ab”  (father).  His  father’s  house  was  the  first  and  only 
one  in  Jerusalem  where  Hebrew  exclusively  was  spoken.  Through  ver¬ 
bal  and  written  efforts  his  father  daily  championed  the  cause  of  the  He¬ 
brew  language  for  forty  years.  Ben  Yehudah,  therefore,  is  considered 
the  father  of  modern  Hebrew. 

It  is  said  that  one  day  when  Itamar  (Ben  Abi)  was  two  years  old, 
the  late  Yechiel  Michael  Pines  visited  the  Ben  Yehudahs  and  found  the 
two-year-old  boy  chattering  incoherently  in  Hebrew.  He  remarked  to  his 
late  mother,  Deborah,  “It  is  pitiful  the  way  you  cripple  the  poor  boy  by  not 
talking  to  him  in  a  living  tongue ;  you  make  an  idiot  out  of  a  bright  child. 
The  Hebrew  language  is  not  broad  enough  to  adapt  itself  to  all  modern 
ideas  and  conditions,  and  the  poor  child  will  find  no  words  to  express  his 
thoughts  when  he  grows  up.”  His  poor  mother  listened  attentively  to  the 
criticism  of  Mar  Pines,  and  when  he  was  through,  she  replied,  “We 


“SHULAMITH” 

Conservatory  of  Music,  Jaffa 

(See  Page  37) 


The 


HERZL  STREET  IN  TEL  ABIB 
Gymnasium  Facing  the  Thoroughfare 


(See  Page  35) 


A  TYPICAL  VILLAGE 


HULDAH 

The  National  Fund  Farm 


ON  THE  HEIGHTS  OF  JUDEA 


109 


would  rather  make  him  a  Hebrew  idiot  than  make  him  an  idiotic  Hebrew.” 
Ben  Abi,  however,  has  demonstrated  that  the  language  of  Moses  and 
Isaiah  is  very  flexible  and  the  fear  that  he  would  suffer  from  a  shortage 
of  vocabulary  was  groundless.  Indeed,  not  once  did  he  consult  his 
father’s  ten  volumed  Hebrew  dictionary  while  conversing  with  his  friends. 
To  hear  him  speak  Hebrew  was  a  privilege.  He  has  a  supreme  command 
of  the  Hebrew  language.  His  play  on  words  is  marvelous.  He  leaves  no 
doubt  in  the  mind  of  the  hearer  that  the  Hebrew  language  is  broad  enough 
to  be  adapted  to  all  modern  conditions. 

Of  the  other  members  of  the  company,  I  desire  to  mention  the  name 
of  Mar  (Mr.)  Tamri  (Teitelbaum).  He  was  the  leader  of  the  Hebrew 
Dramatic  Circle,  and  was  going  with  members  of  the  Circle  to  give  a  per¬ 
formance  at  the  Beth  Am  of  Jerusalem  on  the  following  Saturday  night. 
He  spoke  of  the  new  life  in  Palestine  with  fiery  enthusiasm.  Some  of  the 
remarks  passed  were,  “The  Jewish  stage  must  be  a  Hebrew  stage,  for 
Jewish  culture  without  the  Hebrew  language  can  not  be  perfect,  if  lan¬ 
guage  is  the  means  whereby  the  character  of  the  soul  expresses  itself,  the 
Hebrew  language  stands  for  the  interpretation  of  the  character  of  the 
Hebrew  soul.  A  Jewish  stage!  in  a  strange  language  misses  its  star  actor.” 

This  crowd  appeared  to  be  thoroughly  emancipated  and  free  in  every 
particular.  In  their  dress  and  manner,  they  were  Europeans,  but  in  other 
respects  Judeans.  It  was  interesting  to  notice  how  quickly  these  foreign- 
born  youths  have  Hebraized  their  Russian,  Roumanian  and  Galician  names. 
Such  as :  Yigal,  Boas,  Yarib,  Amihud,  Aminadab,  Amon,  Absalom,  Ahud, 
Obed,  Amiasof  Abinoam,  etc.,  and  changes  such  as  Harori  (from  Berg¬ 
man),  Aharoni  (from  Aronson),  Tamri  (from  Teitelbaum),  Kafri  (from 
Dorfman)  ;  or  girls  possessing  names  such  as:  Geulah,  Zhubah,  Zphirah, 
Jardenah,  Hemdah  and  Hermonah.  Indeed  to  us  American  Jews  who  are 
engaged  in  the  materialistic  side  of  life  and  develop  our  idealism  upon 
local  charitable  work,  it  is  an  unusual  occurrence  to  see  young  men  and 
women  discussing  matters  of  great  moment  to  the  Jew  and  his  land,  such 
as  Jewish  culture,  Jewish  music  and  drama.  I  was  a  silent  witness  to  this 
conversation,  for  I  feared  that  my  Hebrew  vocabulary  would  not  express 
all  my  thoughts  on  this  subject,  though  Mar  Ben  Abi  was  generous  enough 
to  request  me  to  state  my  opinion  in  English,  a  language  he  understood  well. 

Meanwhile  the  train  stopped  at  Sejed  (place  of  worship).  It  is  said 
that  the  Philistines  had  here  a  sanctuary  to  Baal.  The  land  here  is  “the 
fertile  plain,”  and  was  once  the  Sultan’s  private  domain,  but  now  it  has 
become  crown  land  and  is  to  be  sold  to  the  highest  bidders. 


110 


NEW  JUDEA 


We  soon  approached  the  Shephelah  (the  lowland),  which  separates  the 
plateau  from  the  plain.  It  consists  of  a  range  of  low  chalky  foot-hills  and  a 
valley  or  inner-lowland  south  of  Ajalon.1 

The  Shephelah  was  the  bone  of  contention  between  the  Shepherd 
tribes  and  the  Philistines  and  between  Saladin  and  the  Crusaders.  When 
the  Hebrews  conquered  the  plateau  and  strove  to  expel  the  Philistines, 
their  most  powerful  antagonists  of  the  Sharon,  the  villages  of  both  con¬ 
testants  lay  in  close  proximity  and  the  Shephelah  belonged  to  neither. 
Among  the  vineyards  of  one  of  these  villages,  Samson  grew  up,2  and 
in  the  neighboring  Philistine  village  of  Timnah,  and  in  the  vale  otf  Sorek3 
(where  the  railway  from  Jaffa  to  Jerusalem  now  runs),  he  met  the  fair 
maidens.  Here  in  the  Shephelah,  under  a  pomegranate  grove  of 
Migron,4  Saul  was  encamped  against  the  Philistines,  and  again  on  the 
other  side  of  the  vale  of  Elah,5  and  here  was  the  chief  battle  ground  be¬ 
tween  the  two  races  when  David,  the  sturdy  son  of  the  wealthy  sheep- 
owner,  one  fine  morning,  passed  the  narrow  valley  coming  down  from 
Bethlehem  to  meet  his  antagonist,  the  warrior  Goliath. 

The  general  topography  here  undergoes  marked  changes.  As  soon  as 
the  plain  is  passed,  the  hills  are  more  or  less  bare,  trees  become  scarce 
and  flowers  are  not  quite  so  profuse.  The  villages  are  situated  on  the 
hills,  with  grainfields  and  pastures  in  the  valleys.  The  land  of  the  plateau 
is  not  quite  so  beautiful  or  fertile,  and  the  road  not  as  good  as  the  plain 
we  traversed  in  the  morning.  One  observing  the  contrast  of  this  territory 
is!  not  surprised  that  the  Israelitic  armies  of  the  highland  exerted  all  ef¬ 
forts  to  wrest  the  beautiful  plain  from  their  neighboring  adversaries. 

We  soon  approached  a  more  rolling  country  which  was  rather  scarce 
in  houses,  but  appeared  rich  in  cattle, — sheep,  goats  and  camels.  From  the 
next  station — Deir  Aban,  could  be  seen  the  Ancient  Sara  (Zorah).6 7  Ain 

1  According  to  the  Jerusalem  Talmud,  the  maritime  plain  is  distinguished  from  the 

Shephelah.  Lydda,  at  the  base  of  the  low  hills,  is  the  land  mark  of  its  division.  R.  Yo- 
hanan  said  also  in  that  region  there  are  mountains,  shephelah  and  plain,  from  Beth-horon 
to  Emmaus  are  mountains,  from  Emmaus  to  Lydda;  is  Shephelah,  from  Lvdda  to  the  sea  is 
plain.  (Jer.  Tal.  Shebiith  ix:2.) 

3  Judges  xiii  :2. 

3  Judges  14: 1-16:  4. 

4 1  Sam.  14  :2. 

“Sam.  17:2. 

“The  birthplace  of  Samson  (Judges  XIII:  2). 

7 1  Sam.  1:6;  I  Kings  4:9. 


ON  THE  HEIGHTS  OF  JUDEA 


111 


Shemesh  (Beth  Shemesh),7  and  the  modern  Jewish  village  Artuff. 

From  Deir  Aban  we  gradually  ascended  the  heights  of  Judea.  The 
road  here  becomes  very  winding  and  rocky.  The  scenery  resembles  that 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains  of  America.  We  passed  Timnah  where  Samson 
set  fire  to  the  Philistines’  corn.8  Beyond  was  Kiryat  Yearim,  where  the 
Ark  remained  for  twenty  years  in  the  house  of  Abinadab. 

We  also  passed  the  valley  of  Ajalon,  the  famous  battlefield  of  Joshua, 
where  he  commanded  the  moon  to  tarry  while  the  fight  with  Amorites 
was  raging  on  the  heights  of  Gibeon.9  The  mountains  around  here  bear 
evidence  that  at  one  time  even  these  barren  hills  were  cultivated.  Rem¬ 
nants  of  old  terraces  are  still  visible10.  The  country  grew  wilder  and 
more  stony  as  we  ascended,  and  a  number  of  caverns  were  seen  in  the 
stony  mountains.  One  of  the  clefts  high  up  in  the  rocks  towards  the  left 
is  called  Samson’s  cavern.  It  is  said  that  Samson  spent  his  early  life 
around  here.11  These  mountains  contain  many  caves  of  natural  rock, 
some  of  them  have  rude  arches  over  their  doorways  and  bear  marks  of 
early  antiquity,  probably  before  the  day  of  the  Amorites,  when  the  inhabi¬ 
tants  were  cave  dwellers.  It  was  certainly  before  the  Jews  entered  the 
Land,  for  there  is  no  intimation  in  the  Bible  that  the  Jews:  were  ever  cave 
dwellers.  These  caves  were  used  as  hiding  places  in  the  time  of  war  and 
as  a  gathering  place  for  the  shepherds,  or  as  sheep  and  goat  pens,  in  the 
days  of  peace.  “And  he  came  to  sheep  cotes  by  the  way  where  was  a  cave 
and  Saul  went  to  cover  his  feet  and  David  and  his  men  remained  inside 
of  the  cave.”12 

Such  caves  are  found  all  over  Palestine.  In  the  neighborhood  of 
Beer  Sheba,  it  is  said  that  natives  still  dwell  in  these  caves.  As  a  general 
rule,  however,  they  do  not  live  in  them,  and  they  are  even  afraid  to  enter 
a  cave  lest  they  meet  wild  animals,  particularly  the  “Debe”  (hyena). 


7  The  ancient  city  of  Beth  Shemesh  was  discovered  by  Dr.  Duncan  Makenzie  and  Mr. 
Frederick  Newton.  On  the  site  of  the  ancient  city  that  was  destroyed  2600  years  ago  is 
now  a  low  hill,  on  which  stands  an  ancient  temple.  The  Arabs  have  a  tradition  that  Sam¬ 
son  dwelt  there.  Exploring  that  site  they  discovered  old  temples  and  altars  to  idols  that 
probably  were  destroyed  by  King  Hezekiah,  also  various  vessels  of  bronze  which  were  used 
in  these  temples  of  worship. 

8  Judges  XVj  5. 

9  Josh.  X:  13. 

10  These  are  the  terraces  about  which  Ezekiel  prophesied :  “The  mountains  shall  be 
thrown  down  and  the  terraces  shall  fall”  (Ezekiel  xxxv  111:20.) 

11  Judges  XIII :  16. 

12 1  Sam.  XXIV:  3. 


112 


NEW  JUDEA 


The  Palestinian  talks  with  fear  about  this  beast,  and  much  gruesome 
gossip  and  superstition  are  circulated  about  this  wild  creature.  They  be¬ 
lieve  that  a  hyena  will  follow  a  lone  pedestrian,  cast  a  spell  over  him  and 
rub  against  him  until  he  is  dazed,  then  the  pedestrian  will  follow  the  ani¬ 
mal  to  its;  cave.  Such  stories  are  believed  even  amongst  the  Jews.  Our 
Jewish  coachman,  Ephriam,  of  Petach  tikva,  narrated  a  story  of  a  colonist 
of  Zichron  Jacob,  who,  on  one  Friday  afternoon,  had  not,  returned  home 
on  time.  His  friends,  growing  uneasy,  went  to  look  for  him.  They  found 
him  near  a  cave  following  a  Debe  (as  they  call  a  hyena).  He  was  follow¬ 
ing  the  animal  to  its  hole  and  was  dazed.  It  took  quite  a  while  to  bring 
him  back  to  himself.  I  did  not  see,  however,  any  wild  beast  as  the  train 
ascended  the  Judean  heights,  but  only  wild  scenery — a  rare  combination 
of  deep  gorges  and  rugged  mountain  summits.  At  times  it  appeared  as 
though  the  train  was  tumbling  down  into  the  deep  ravines.  The  picture, 
however,  was  not  without  interest,  as  seldom  has  one  such  a  fine  opportunity 
to  see  the  contour  of  hills  and  valleys  as  a  whole.  Here  in  America  these 
mountains  are  covered  with  trees  or  smaller1  growths  which  preclude  such  a 
view.  But  there  is  very  little  vegetation  on  these  heights,  except  now  and 
then  some  wild  flowers  and  a  few  olive  trees  down  the  ravine.  As  a  gen¬ 
eral  rule,  the  hills  are  as  naked  of  trees  as  the  blue  sky  above  them. 

We  came  to  the  station  Bittir,  “Hirbet  El  Yeohud”  (Jewish  ruin)14, 
said  to  be  the  Bether  that  played  such  an  important  role  in  the  insurrection 
of  Bar  Kochba  against  the  Romans.  One  can  readily  find  the  strategic 
reason  for  his  selecting  this  high  and  almost  unconquerable  position  to 
stop  the  advance  of  Severus.  It  was  only  after  a  three  and  a  half-year 
siege  with  a  much  superior  force  that  the  Roman  general  succeeded  in 
capturing  that  splendid  position,  which  commands  the  access  to  the  Judean 
capitol. 

At  the  station  a  rabble  of  boys  from  the  village  surrounded  the  train 
begging  for  “Bakshish”  in  piteous  and  whining  tones,  throwing  up  their 
arms  dramatically  with  gestures  of  despair,  but  after  the  request  was 
granted,  they  ran  away  shouting  “giaour,  giaour”  (infidel,  infidel). 

We  had  already  mounted  over  two  thousand  feet,  and  were  forty-seven 
miles  from  Jaffa,  or  seven  miles  from  Jerusalem.  The  white  limestone 
rocks  looked  grey  and  crumbled  with  ages  of  exposure,  and  gave  the 
naked  landscape  an  ashy  and  desolate  appearance.  The  little  verdure  now 
and  then  seen  amidst  the  rocks  was  too  feeble  an  effort  on  the  part  of 
nature  to  relieve  the  gloom  of  the  naked,  scenery. 


14  See  Scliuerer  Geschichte  des  Jud.  Volkes  im  Zeitalter  J.  Ch.  14,  G94. 


ON  THE  HEIGHTS  OF  JUDEA 


113 


I  did  not  follow  the  railroad  stations  any  longer ;  I  was  too  much  ab¬ 
sorbed  for  that.  At  each  ascent  the  heart  beat  high  with  the  prospect  of 
seeing  the  Holy  City  (El  Kuds).  About  6  ocloclc  we  began  to  see  sigtis 
of  the  neighborhood  of  Jerusalem1.  Scattered  settlements  extended  for 
some  distance.  We  finally  reached  the  highest  summit,  and  looking  far 
ahead  in  the  distance,  the  mountains  of  Moab  rose  first  upon  our  view, 
then  the  deep  valley  of  the  Jordan  and  the  Dead  Sea.  A  little  nearer  the 
Mount  Olivet,  the  tower  of  David,  the  Dome  of  the  Rock,  minarets,  spires 
and  domes  made  their  appearance. 

How  deep  was  our  emotion !  Three  thousand  years  of  history  seemed 
to  be  condensed  within  the  narrow!  space  of  one’s  field  of  vision.  We  were 
at  last  in  Jerusalem,  a  name  so  impressive  to  the  mind  of  nearly  every  Jew 
from  early  childhood.  Here  lay  the  poor  historic  city  so  full  of  romantic 
and  tragic  interest,  and  there  were  Mount  Zion  and  Mount  Moriah,  sur¬ 
rounded  by  the  quaint  walls  which  baffled  the  strenuous  efforts  of  the  in¬ 
vading  Crusaders.  These  were  moments  of  deep  silence  and  indescribable 
Reeling,  a  mixture  of  admiration  and  pathos  which  is  often  inspired  by 

the  sight  of  that  which  one  loves  and  has  not  seen  for  many  years. 

“Jerusalem!  Jerusalem!”  we  involuntary  exclaimed,  and  impressed 
with  the  words  of  Tasso:  1 

“Lo  toward  Jerusalem  salutes  the  eye 
A  thousand  pointing  fingers  tell  the  tale ; 

'Jerusalem’  a  thousand  voices  cry, 

All  hail  Jerusalem!  hill,  down  and  dale, 

Catch  the  glad  sounds  and  shout  'Jerusalem  all  hail.’  ” 

Our  eyes  were  soon  arrested  by  the  rows  of  modern  cottages,  built  of 
white  lime  and  red  tile  roofs.  Those  houses,  I  was  informed,  were  erected 
under  the  auspices  of  Sir  Moses  Montefiore  Testimonial  Committee, 
by  building  associations,  as  well  as  by  private  individuals,  /and  are  at  pres¬ 
ent  occupied  by  Jews.  They  are  all  situated  in  New  Jerusalem,  and  form 
an  agreeable  contrast  to  the  antiquated  and  ghastly-looking  habitations  of 
the  old  city. 

We  arrived  at  the  Jerusalem  Terminal  just  in  time  to  receive  the  Sab¬ 
bath,  and  were  awaited  at  the  station  by  my  friend,  Professor  Boris  Schatz, 
of  the  Bezalel  School  of  Arts  and  Crafts,  who  kindly  conducted  me  through 
the  Jaffa  Gate,15  to  the  Central  Hotel,  where  my  fellow-tourists  were  wait¬ 
ing  for  me. 

15  Near  the  gate  there  is  a  breach  in  the  wall  made  at  the  order  of  the  late,  SulHan 
Ebd-el-Hamid  for  the  German  Kaiser  to  pass,  when  he  visited  Jerusalem  in  1898.  There 
is  an  old  Mohammedan  tradition  that  no  Christion  ruler  may  enter  Jerusalem  through  this 
gate,  either  mounted  on  horse  or  in  a  vehicle,  and  being  careful  that  the  German  ruler 
should  not  have  to  walk,  an  extra  portal  was  made  for  him  through  the  wall. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


JERUSALEM.1-2 


“Beautiful  for  situation,  the  joy  of  the  whole  earth  is  Zion.”3 

“One  that  has  not  seen  Jerusalem  in  its  days  of  splendor  has  never 
seen  a  beautiful  metropolis.”4  “Ten  kabbin  (a  measure  in  Talmudic  days) 
of  beauty  descended  to  the  world,  nine  were  taken  by  Jerusalem,  and 
one  was  left  to'  the  rest  of  the  universe.”5 

Of  all  the  grace  and  charm  that  surrounded  ancient  Jerusalem  as 
testified  by  Biblical  and  Rabbinic  writings,  only  such  as  could  not  be  de- 
stroyed  by  vandalism  was  left  as  an  inheritance  to  the  modern  city,  viz.,  the 
beautiful  an<J  lofty  situation,  the  stately  mountains  around  it,  the  pictur¬ 
esque  valleys  that  separate  Jerusalem  from  these  mountains,  and  the  balmy 
atmosphere.  Very  .  little  is  left  of  the  Jerusalem  of  antiquity  to  indicate 
the  skill,  dexterity  and  thrift  df  the  ancient  Judeans.  It  is  through  sheer 
chance  that  modern  Jerusalem  still  retains  its 'historic  name,  for  Hadrian 
in  his  hatred  for  the  Judeans  grudged  the  city  its  Hebrew  name  and  com¬ 
manded  that  it  be  known  as  Aelia  Capitolina. 

Nothing  more  impressively  indicates  the  complete  destruction  of  an¬ 
cient  Jerusalem  than  the  impossibility  of  identifying  with  exactness  the 
locations  of  its  former  sites.  Fire,  sword,  plunder  and  time  have  removed 
all  the  landmarks  of  the  great  historic  deeds.  The  modern  city  stands 
on  the  ruins  of  the  old  Judean  capital  like  a  weather-beaten  tombstone  on 
the  grave  of  a  departed  hero.  The  rubbish  collected  through  centuries  of 
devastation  and  destruction  has  been  heaped  up  to  a  height  of  sixty  feet 
covering  all  landmarks  and  removing  all  traces  that  would  lead  to  the 
identification  of  ancient  sites,  streets  or  structures.  Modern  Jerusalem, 
therefore,  dates  from  the  days  of  the  Crusaders  and  is  built  on  a  huge  heap 
of  ruins.  Thus  the  prophecy  of  Jeremiah,6  that  “the  city  shall  be  budded 
upon  her  own  heap,”  has  long  been  fulfilled. 

1  El  Khuds — Beit-el-Mikdash. 

2  The  founding  of  Jerusalem  is  credited  to  Shem,  the  son  of  Noah,  who  began  to  build 
the  walls  of  the  city  (Seder  Hadoroth,  Vol.  I,  12).  Its  name  was  Shaleia  (Gen.  xiv:18). 
Abraham  called  it  “i’ireh,”  hence  the  name  Jerusalem  (Midrash  Rabba,  Pt.  I,  56).  Some  say 
it  derives  the  first  half  of  its  name  from  the  Babylonian  word  “Uru”  (a  city),  similar  to  the 
Hebrew  word  “Ir” — hence  Uru-Salem”  (the  city  of  Salem). 

3  Ps.  xlviii  :3. 

4  Suk.  51b. 

8  Kid.  49a. 

*  Jer.  xxx  :18. 


114 


JERUSALEM 


115 


MODERN  EXCAVATIONS. 

Thanks  to  the  untiring  researches  of  archaeologists  like  M.  Clement 
Ganneau,  Sir  Charles  Warren,  Sir  Charles  Wilson,  Captain  Conder,  and 
particularly  the  excavations  in  Jerusalem  conducted  by  the  Palestine  Ex¬ 
ploration  Fund  of  England,  we  have  recovered  a  few  old  sites  and  our 
idea  of  the  ancient  topography  of  the  city  is  based  on  more  accurate  data 
than  those  furnished  by  us  in  the  records  of  early  pilgrims.  We  are  at 
last  beginning  to  read  Biblical  accounts  in  the  light  of  modern  established 
facts  rather  than  by  exploded  and  obscure  traditions,  or  misleading  appel¬ 
lations  derived  from  records  of  irresponsible  theologians  who  came  to  con¬ 
clusions  as  to  the  authenticity  of  historic  sites  by  intuition  rather  than 
through  scientific  investigations.  Few  sites  in  modern  Jerusalem  have, 
therefore,  an  authentic  historic  value,  and  these  few  are  particularly  of 
Jewish  interest. 

BAZAARS  AND  STREETS  IN  OLD  JERUSALEM 

The  most  interesting  relic  whose  authenticity  is  not  questioned  is  the 
western  wall  of  the  temple  area,  known  as  the  “wailing  wall.”  This  wall 
has  been  the  gathering  place  of  Jews  for  many  centuries,  and  the  first  place 
a  Jewish  pilgrim  would  visit  on  entering  the  Holy  City.  True  to  tradition, 
we  soon  made  our  way  to  the  quaint  western  wall.  We  walked  along  David 
street,  passed  the  citadel  of  David,  and  the  bazaars,  the  last  of  which  is  a 
network  of  vaulted  tunnels,  walled  on  each  side  with  cavelike  shops  and 
filled  with  a  Babel  of  nationalities.  The  arched  tunnel  is  lighted  only  by 
holes  in  the  roof.  The  shops  have  neither  windows  nor  doors.  They  seem 
to  have  been  cut  out  of  the  walls,  and  the  largest  of  them  is  not  more  than 
fifteen  or  twenty  feet  deep.  Some  are  so  narrow  that  one  can  stand  at  the 
front  and  reach  both  walls  with  the  hands,  and  none  is  much  higher  than 
the  statue  of  a  man.  It  is  walled  with  shelves  filled  with  goods.  There  is 
only  room  enough  outside  the  shelves  for  the  merchant  to  sit,  and  the  cus¬ 
tomers  must  stand  in  the  street  as  they  shop. 

There  is  a  shoemakers’  bazaar  where  scores  of  cobblers  work.  At  the 
entrance  to  each  cave-like  shop  two  shoemakers  sit  with  untanned  calfskin 
aprons  tight  about  them,  sewing  away.  Between  them  on  an  olive  tree 
stump  rests  a  slab  of  marble.  The  shoes  are  made  with  needle  and  thread. 
The  soles  are  of  camel’s  hide,  and  the  upper  part  of  kid  or  goat  skin  of 
local  manufacture.  These  are  the  common  shoes  of  the  peasant,  and  are 
sold  for  from  thirty  cents  to  one  dollar  a  pair,  according  to  size.  I  was 


116 


NEW  JUDEA 


told  they  received  from  forty  to  sixty  cents  for  laboring  from  sunrise  to 
sunset. 

In  another  street  tinners  were  working,  using  oil  cans  to  make  pots 
and  pans.  Their  shops  are  not  much  bigger  than  cupboards,  and  the  work¬ 
men  are  long-bearded  men  in  fez  caps  and  long  gowns.  Further  on  we 
passed  the  grain  market,  vaults  filled  with  piles  of  wheat,  corn,  barley,  oats 
and  millet  spread  out  on  the  floor.  The  grain  is  sold  by  measure,  the  mer¬ 
chant  shaking  the  measure  to  make  the  grain  solid  and  then  heaping  it  up 
to  the  top  with  his  hands  so  that  the  grain  forms  a  cone.  The  people  here 
never  buy  grain  by  the  sack,  as  they  want  to  see  it  measured  out  before 
their  eyes.  If  the  buyer  is  not  present  he  cannot  be  sure  of  getting  good 
measure. 

I  am  told  that  most  of  the  grain  of  the  Holy  City  and  Palestine  is 
turned  into  flour  by  hand-mills  at  home.  Some  flour  is  imported  and  some 
is  ground  in  mills  run  by  camels  or  donkeys.  The  Jew  of  Jerusalem  seldom 
buys  grain.  He  uses  imported  flour.  In  baking  bread  the  dough  is  kneaded 
at  home  and  brought  in  great  lumps  to  the  public  ovens.  These  are  to  be 
found  in  almost  any  street.  They  are  cave-like  vaults  running  down  below 
the  street  level.  Olive  wood  is  used  as  fuel,  and  the  oven  floor  is  marked 
out  in  blocks,  so  that  the  baking  of  each  family  is  put  on  a  separate  block. 
The  loaves  are  about  an  inch  thick  and  of  the  size  of  a  tea  plate.  They 
have  a  hole  in  the  centre.  The  baker  makes  them  from  the  dough,  bakes 
them,  and  returns  them  hot  from  the  oven  to  the  customers.  He  receives 
ten  metalic  (ten  cents)  for  each  half-dozen  loaves,  or  he  may  instead  take 
toll  of  one  loaf  for  each  dozen. 

The  reason  for  these  public  bakeries  is  the  great  cost  of  fuel.  I  fre¬ 
quently  saw  boys  carrying  dough  on  their  heads  to  these  bakeries,  or  taking 
bread  home  from  them.  Ancient  Jerusalem  also  had  its  Bakers’  street,  for 
we  read  that  Zedekiah,  the  King,  put  the  prophet  Jeremiah  into  the  court 
of  the  prison  and  commanded  that  they  “should  give  him  daily  a  piece  of 
bread  out  of  the  Bakers’  streets.”7 

Passing  these  bazaars  through  very  narrow  and  winding  streets  not 
more  than  twelve  feet  wide,  six  feet  of  which  are  used  as  a  trottoir  for 
man,  the  rest  for  animals,  we  pursued  our  course  for  the  first  time  in  the 
Holy  City. 

Jerusalem,  like  all  other  Mohammedan  cities,  is  built  without  any 
plan.  No  street  runs  straight  for  a  distance  of  sixty  rods.  One  has  to  go 


7  Jer.  37:  21. 


JERUSALEM 


117 


up  and  down  flights  of  dark  stairs,  under  arches  and  old  damp  passages, 
at  times  cutting  through  houses  in  order  to  reach  a  desired  destination.  It 
often  happens  that  one  walks  an  hour  through  these  circular  streets  only  to 
find  that  he  is  back  at  the  starting  point.  To  this  confusion  is  added  the 
fact  that  most  of  the  streets  of  the  old  city  are  not  named.  One  cart 
readily  see  the  difficulties  that  a  stranger  has  to  contend  with  in  finding  his 
way  in  Jerusalem. 

Nothing  is  more  absurd  than  to  read  now  and  then  in  American  papers 
of  certain  corporations  that  are  going  to  construct  a  trolley  system  in  Jeru¬ 
salem.  Such  an  undertaking  is  an  impossibility,  for  there  is  no  room  in 
these  streets  for  a  wagon  to  pass.  The  only  way  to  get  about  in  old  Jeru¬ 
salem  is  on  foot,  or,  what  is  safer  yet,  on  the  back  of  a  sure-footed  donkey 
which  is  accustomed  to  walk  on  slippery  and  slanting  steps. 

The  general  aspect  of  the  old  city  is  very  melancholy.  There  is  no 
cheerfulness ;  even  on  a  sunny  day  it  is  a  mass  of  old  houses,  cold,  sombre 
and  sad,  presenting  blank  walls  to  the  street,  many  of  them  ruins. 

I  confess  that  my  first  introduction  to  the  Holy  City  was  not  a  happy 
one.  It  lacked  all  solemnity  and  threw  a  gloom  on  my  imaginative  expecta¬ 
tions.  Perhaps  I  should  have  waited  until  I  had  become  more  accustomed 
to  holy  places  before  I  ventured  a  visit  to  the  wailing  wall.  When  a  person 
stumbles  along  the  streets  and  peeps  into  the  dirty  little  shops  at  each  side, 
all  the  sacredness  and  the  tremendous  associations  of  the  Holy  City  are 
apt  to  become  impaired  in  his  mind.  It  is  not  surprising,  therefore,  that 
many  sympathetic  pilgrims  of  the  west,  who  had  not  visited  the  colonies, 
came  back  with  change  of  heart  toward  Palestine. 

But  why  be  dismayed  that  the  appearance  of  Jerusalem  does  not  come 
up  to  the  standard  of  the  western  idea  of  “city  beautiful,”  or  sanitation? 
No  one  comes  to  Jerusalem  to  be  inspired  by  its  artistic  beauty,  by  its 
public  parks,  its  charming  boulevards,  its  colossal  statues,  its  triumphal 
arches,  its  rare  art  galleries  and  gigantic  structures.  The  purpose  of  visit¬ 
ing  Jerusalem  is,  as  has  always  been,  to  get  religious  or  historic  inspiration. 
Jerusalem  within  the  walls  therefore  represents  one  large  museum  of 
antiquity,  and  its  streets  and  structures  are  a  part  of  the  exhibit.  There 
are  no  remains  of  great  architecture  in  Jerusalem.  What  buildings  there 
are  have  a  religious  association ;  well-preserved  ruins  are  few.  It  is  cer¬ 
tainly  not  an  Athens  or  a  Rome,  and  yet  it  is  greater  than  any  of  its  ancient 
rivals. 


118 


NEW  JUDEA 


'  Rome,  Athens  and  Jerusalem — the  physical,  the  intellectual  and  the 
moral.  Can  there  be  any  doubt  which  is  the  greatest?  The  Empire  of 
Rome  has  never  been  excelled.  The  art  of  Greece  continues  to  be  great. 
But  the  spirit  which  has  inspired  art  with  a  sentiment  more  profound  than 
the  Greek,  the  morals  which  held  sway  over  people  subtler  and  more  uni¬ 
versal  than  the  Roman,  was  contributed  by  Jerusalem.  Naturally  enough, 
more  fascinating  and  more  appealing  to  the  sensuous  imagination  is  the 
pomp  of  imperial  Rome  or  the  elegance  of  the  Grecian  art.  Jerusalem 
could  never  rival  Rome  with  the  imperial  pomp,  nor  Greece  with  its  artistic 
achievements,  for  its  only  notable  remains  are  part  of  the  foundation  of 
Solomon’s  Temple,  which  does  not  compare  in  artistic  elegance  with  the 
Roman  temples  of  Palmyra  and  Baalbec,  and  yet  Jerusalem  is  the  greater. 
It  stood  for  the  purification  of  the  soul  rather  than  the  adoration  of  the 
body.  It  laid  the  foundation  of  morality  and  ethics. 

The  highest  hope  of  art  is  to  reveal  the  truth,  the  sublimest  strains  of 
literature  are  the  prophecies  of  Isaiah  and  Jeremiah,  the  philosophy  of 
Ecclesiastes  and  Job  and  the  religious  and  ethical  ideas  of  Psalms  and 
Proverbs.  The  struggle  of  society  is  still  to  plant  itself  upon  the  truths 

taught  in  old  Jerusalem.  The  Arch  of  Titus,  which  was  erected  in  Rome 
eighteen  centuries  ago  by  Domitian  in  commemoration  of  his  brother’s  con¬ 
quest  of  Jerusalem,  has  left  only  faded  reliefs  of  the  Judean  captives  led 
into  exile,  while  the  Western  Wall  of  the  Temple  built  by  Solomon  has 
always  in  front  of  it  living  descendants  of  those  victims  of  Titus  who  have 
returned  to  rehabilitate  the  land. 

THE  WALL  OF  TEARS 

While  so  meditating  we  suddenly  came  into  a  long  and  narrow  court 
facing  the  great  historic  wall  of  the  Temple  area.  It  was  a  late  hour  on 
Friday,  the  sun  was  setting  down  the  valley  of  Raphaim.  Everything 
around  looked  ghastly  gray.  There  was  no  cheer  even  in  the  west  where 
the  sun  was  setting,  the  mass  of  old  houses  with  the  domed  roofs  convey¬ 
ing  a  sad  impression  to  the  mind. 

The  narrow  court,  however,  was  clothed  in  profound  holiday  attire. 
Large  wax  tapers,  tallow  candles  and  oil  lamps  illuminated  this  so-called 
wailing  place  and  endowed  it  with  cheerfulness  in  contradistinction  to  the 
dark  and  wretched  hovels  of  the  Maghrebin  quarters  that  surrounded  it. 

There  was  no  wailing,  for  it  was  Sabbath  eve  and  the  poorest  in  Israel 
must  keep  this  dav  free  from  care  and  sad  reflections.  Men,  women  and 
children  crowded  this  beloved  open-air  sanctuary  to  “receive  the  Sabbath’’ 


JERUSALEM 


(Kabbalath  Sabbath).  For  centuries  this  was  the  nearest  they  dared  to 
approach  the  Holy  of  Holies,  and  the  only  place  where  the  exiled  Jew 
found  relief  from  persecution  and  suffering.  In  front  of  this  wall  and 
under  the  blue  sky,  the  two  surviving  witnesses  of  Israel’s  lost  national 
glory,  Jews  from  all  lands  assembled,  forgot  all  their  differences  and 
became  a  united  brotherhood. 

These  worshippers  were  dressed  in  their  Sabbath  garments ;  ‘‘caftans” 
made  of  gaudy  colors  such  as  yellow,  red,  green  and  white,  satin  or  plush, 
according  to  rank  and  means,  adorned  their  bodies,  and  fur-lined  caps  which 
appeared  much  out  of  place  in  semi-tropical  Jerusalem,  and  not  in  harmony 
with  the  tropical  garments  that  covered  other  parts  of  their  bodies.  They 
did  not  seem  to  be  annoyed  by  their  warm  headwear,  that  their  fathers 
brought  nearly  a  century  ago  from  the  frigid  climate  of  the  Russian  steppes, 
still  in  use  by  the  Russian  moujik.  They  still  cling  religiously  to  this  cos¬ 
tume. 

Some  of  the  parents  of  these  worshippers  came  here  during  the  reign 
of  Nicholas  the  First,  who  at  one  time  during  the  Crimean  war  desired  to 
make  great  changes  in  the  treatment  of  the  Jews,  many  of  whom  had  dis¬ 
tinguished  themselves  as  soldiers.  He  decided  to  assimilate  them  with  the 
rest  of  his  subjects,  and  started  his  reform  by  issuing  an  ukase  to  cut  off 
their  long  cloak,  to  shorten  the  “peoth”  and  beards  and  do  away  with  the 
“streimel”  (fur  cap).  Many  Jews  rather  than  give  up  their  time-honored 
customs,  fled  to  the  Holy  Land.  So  it  happened  that  these  emigrants  from 
Russia  retain  in  Palestine  the  “streimel”8. 

The  boys  especially  presented  a  comical  appearance  with  their  long 
coats  of  bright  colors  tied  around  the  waist  with  white  silk  belts,  and  circu¬ 
lar  “birettas”  of  black  velvet  or  velveteen  trimmed  all  around  with  fur. 
Beneath  the  “birettas”  a  white  knitted  skull  cap  could  be  seen,  so,  in  case 
the  hat  is  removed,  the  head  shall  not  remain  bare.  At  each  side  of  the 
extraordinary  head  covering  hangs  down  a  long  and  shaggy  earlock. 

One,  however,  gets  quickly  accustomed  to  these  garbs  and  loses  sight 
of  them  as  they  harmonize  with  the  surroundings,  if  not  with  the  climate, 
lending  an  antique  color  to  the  people  of  the  ancient  city. 

The  Spanish  Jews,  whose  appearance  and  bearing  are  more  refined 
and  independent  than  of  their  brethren  of  Poland,  can  easily  be  picked  out 
from  the  Ashkenazim. 


8  E.  N.  Adler,  “Jews  of  Many  Lands,”  p.  50. 


120 


NEW  JUDEA 


One  soon  loses  sight  of  all  conventionalities  on  seeing  patriarchal-look¬ 
ing  men  in  silence  pressing  their  throbbing  foreheads  on,  the  cold  stones  for 
hours  in  devotion.  I  was  deeply  impressed  by  the  scene  witnessed  here.  The 
impression  made  upon  me  will  never  be  effaced.  I  felt  with  Prof.  Schatz,  who 
remarked  to  me  in  a  whispering  voice:  “Here,  above  all  places  in  the 
world,  are  no  division  lines  among  our  people.  Orthodox,  Reformed,  Zion¬ 
ist,  non-Zionist,  rich  or  poor,  at  this  wall  we  step  on  common  ground  and 
we  feel  that  all  Israel  are  brethren.  Indeed,  these  cold  stones  have  a  unify¬ 
ing  tendency.” 

I  was  attracted  to  this  wall  almost  every  morning.  The  scenes  there 
during  weekdays  were  heart-rending,  such  manifestations  of  grief  are  diffi¬ 
cult  to  picture,  men  and  women  sitting  on  the  ground  and  weeping  bitterly. 
Some  men  wailed  in  the  talith,  praying  in  silent  speech,  with  their  bodies 
bent  toward  the  wall ;  others  kissing  the  cold  gray  stones  with  fervent  lips, 
still  others  rocking  their  half-starved  bodies  back  and  fro  while  tears  fell 
like  raindrops  upon  the  pavement.  Some  parts  of  the  wall  have  actually 
been  worn  smooth  by  the  lips  of  these  mourners  who  came  here  week 
after  week  and  year  after  year  for  generations. 

On  one  occasion  I  watched  a  middle-aged  man  whose  long  jet-black 
beard  flowed  down  his  breast,  the  tears  gushing  down  his  cheeks  onto  his 
prayer  book,  which  was  literally  saturated.  He  was  sitting  on  the  pave¬ 
ment  facing  the  wall  that  enclosed  the  shrines  of  his  ancestors.  His  coun¬ 
tenance  did  not  seem  to  be  disturbed  by  material  concerns.  Looking  over 
his  shoulders,  I  noticed  he  was  reading  from  his  prayer  book :  “Incline  O 
my  God  Thine  ear  and  hearken,  open  Thine  eyes  and  look  upon  our  deso¬ 
lated  place  and  upon  the  city  that  was  called  by  Thy  name.  Have  pity,  O 
Eternal,  upon  Thy  people  and  do  not  let  Thy  inheritance  become  a  reproach 
or  the  nations  hold  sway  over  them.  .  .  .  Do  not  forsake  us,  O  Eternal 

our  God,  be  not  far  from  us,  for  our  lives  are  oppressed  by  reason  of  the 
sword  and  captivity,  pestilence  and  plague.  O  do  Thou  deliver  us  front 
all  kinds  of  sorrow  and  grief,  for  in  Thee  we  hope.  Put  us  not  to  shame, 
O  Eternal,  our  God,  and  cause  Thy  countenance  to  shine  upon  us.”  This 
was  recited  in  such  a  heart-rending  tone  that  it  brought  tears  to  the  eyes 
of  many  by-standers. 

The  following  Litany  taken  from  the  Karaite  Prayer  Book  is  often 
chanted : 

Leader — For  the  palace  that  lies  desolate  :  Response — We  sit 

in  solitude  and  mourn. 


JERUSALEM 


121 


L. — For  the  palace  that  is  destroyed  :  R. — We  sit,  etc. 

L. — For  the  walls  that  are  overthrown:  R. — We  sit,  etc. 

L. — For  our  majesty  that  is  departed:  R. — We  sit,  etc. 

L. — For  our  great  men  who  lie  dead:  R. — We  sit,  etc. 

L. — For  the  precious  stones  that  are  burned  :  R. — We  sit,  etc. 

L. — For  the  priests  who  have  stumbled  :  R. — We  sit,  etc. 

L. — For  our  majesty  that  is  departed:  R. — We  sit,  etc. 

Another  antiphony  is  as  follows : 

Leader — We  pray  Thee,  have  mercy  on  Zion !  Response — 
Gather  the  children  of  Jerusalem. 

L. — Haste,  Haste,  Redeemer  of  Zion  !  R. — Speak  to  the  heart 
of  Jerusalem. 

L. — May  beauty  and  majesty  surround  Zion!  R. — Ah!  turn 
Thyself  mercifully  to  Jerusalem. 

L. — May  the  kingdom  soon  return  to  Zion!  R. — Comfort 
those  who  mourn  over  Jerusalem. 

L. — May  peace  and  joy  abide  with  Zion  !  R. — And  the  branch 
(of  Jesse)  spring  up  at  Jerusalem. 

These  mourners  visit  this  place  in  rain  and  sunshine  day  after  day,  and 
for  centuries  they  have  defied  the  treacherous  natives  who  would  not  permit 
them  to  come  here  and  have  thrown  stones  and  missiles  at  them  while  pray¬ 
ing.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  a  place  venerated  as  this  court  is  should  not 
have  a  suitable  edifice  erected  upon  it,  thereby  protecting  the  poor  mourners 
from  the  weather  and  hostility. 

This  wall  is  constructed  of  twenty-four  courses  of  large  stones  and  is 
fifty-nine  feet  wide.  The  stones  are  in  the  place  where  they  were  placed 
thousands  of  years  ago9  10  n. 

Time  seems  to  have  dealt  gently  with  them,  and  though  slightly  dis¬ 
placed  by  earthquakes  and  worn  smooth  by  kisses  of  Jewish  pilgrims,  they 
are  well  preserved.  The  wall  is  literally  covered  with  large  Hebrew  inscrip¬ 
tions  by  pilgrims.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  people  coming  here  from  dis¬ 
tant  lands  to  visit  the  holy  grounds  and  to  mourn  the  destruction  of  the 

9  Benjamin  of  Tudela  mentions  these  walls  and  states  that  “the  gate  of  mercy  where  toe 
Jews  used  to  offer  prayers”  is  situated  in  this  wall. 

10  Rabbi  Petachia,  of  Regensburg,  two  years  later,  in  his  accounts  of  his  travels  men¬ 
tioned  the  gate  of  mercy.  He  says  that  the  famous  gate  lies  in  the  western  wall  opposite  the 
Mount  Olivet.  His  statement  is  probably  correct.  (Erd  Kunde,  Vol.  4,  p.  207.) 

11  Probably  at  this  gate  according  to  the  Seder  Hadoroth,  Rabbi  Yehudah  Halevi  (4920  A 
M.)  at  the  age  of  50  met  with  a  tratrie  death.  Approaching  this  place  he  rent  his  cloth 
and  in  deep  grief  prostrated  himself  to  kiss  each  stone  and  gave  utterance  to  the  lamenta¬ 
tion  of  “Zion  Halo  Thishali”  (Ivinoth  for  the  9th  of  Ab).  As  he  lay  prostrate,  a  fantatie 
Arab  in  rage  drove  his  horse  over  him  and  the  immortal  Halevi  expired  with  the  word  Zion- 
in  his  mouth.  (Lublin  Ed.,  pp.  198-199.) 


122 


NEW  JUDEA 


Temple  should  add  to  the  ruins  by  these  unsightly  inscriptions,  or,  what  is 
worse,  by  driving  nails  between  the  slabs  of  stone  or  by  hewing  down 
parts  of  the  stones  to  take  home  for  relics. 

According  to  a  tradition,  the  Western  Wall  lay  buried  until  the  middle 
of  the  sixteenth  century.  When  Sultan  Suleiman  conquered  Jerusalem,  he 
selected  a  site  for  his  palace  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  present  wall.  One 
day  Sultan  Suleiman  noticed  an  old  woman  depositing  a  bagful  of  rubbish 
on  the  site  of  the  present  wall  near  his  palace.  He  sent  for  thel  woman  and 
asked  her  if  she  could  find  no  better  place  for  her  rubbish  than  in  front  of 
the  castle  of  the  sultan.  She  replied,  “Be  not  angry,  my  lord,  I  never 
thought  to  offend  thee  by  observing  an  ancient  custom  of  my  people.  I  am 
a  descendant  of  the  ancient  Romans  and  my  residence  is  two  days’  distance 
from  Jerusalem.  I  am  doing  just  what  my  ancestors  have  practiced  for 
many  centuries.  There  was  an  old  custom  among  my  ancestors,”  she  con¬ 
tinued,  “that  whoever  resides  in  Jerusalem  must  dump  his  rubbish  on  that 
place,  and  those  who  live  in  the  suburbs  are  obliged  to  bring  their  refuse 
here  twice  a  week,  and  from  three  days’  distance,  once  a  month.  On  this 
place,”  she  continued,  “stood  the  Judean  Temple,  and  because  it  could  not 
be  destroyed  to  the  foundation,  we  were  ordered  to  bury  the  Temple  wall 
with  rubbish  and  dirt  so  that  it  could  not  be  seen.”  The  sultan,  seeing 
others  repeating  the  same  practice,  issued  strict  orders  to  stop  such  usages, 
on  punishment  of  death.  He  further  ordered  the  site  to  be  excavated,  the 
rubbish  removed,  and  the  wall  to  be  exposed. 

I  cannot  vouch  for  the  authenticity  of  this  narrative,  but  one  thing  is 
certain,  that  at  one  time  or  another  this  place  was  a  dumping  ground.  For 
the  Tyropean  Valley  (cheesemongers’  valley)  mentioned  by  Josephus  as 
located  between  Mount  Zion  and  Mount  Moriah,  where  the  public  forum 
was  situated,  is  now  entirely  obliterated  and  there  is  no  longer  any  depres¬ 
sion.  It  is  said  about  the  same  monarch  that  one  time,  he  summoned 
the  Jews  of  Jerusalem  and  offered  to  rebuild  the  Temple.  “Acting  on  the 
inspiration  from  above,  I  desire  the  Temple  shall  rise  again  in  great  splen¬ 
dor,”  he  said,  “for  I  am  also  called  Suleiman  like  the  founder  of  the  first 
Temple.  I  offer  you  the  means  to  complete  and  restore  the  Sanctuary.” 
Upon  hearing  these  words  the  Jews  began  to  weep  and  remained  silent. 
The  sultan  demanded  to  know  what  that  meant.  “Are  ye  not  happy  to 
have  the  possibility  of  rebuilding  the  Temple?  Are  ye  not  rejoicing  that 
God  has  not  forgotten  you?”  the  sultan  asked.  An  old  Rabbi,  approaching 
the  sultan,  said,  “O  Great  King,  we  will  praise  the  Lord  for  having  given 


JERUSALEM 


123 


thee  such  benevolent  thoughts,  but  the  Holy  Scripture  forbids  us  to  erect 
the  Temple  ourselves.  God  himself  can  do  this.”12  “If  this  be  the  case," 
he  remarked,  "I  shall  build  here  a  mosque  for  myself,  as  Solomon  said, 
‘moreover  concerning  a  stranger  that  is  not  of  thy  people,  Israel,  but 
cometh  out  of  a  far  country  ....  when  he  shall  come  and  pray 
toward  this  house.’  ”13-14 

We  left  the  wall,  passing  behind  the  Maghrebin  quarters  toward  the 
chief  Ashkenazic  synagogue,  called  the  “Churvah,”  or  ruin,  because  of  its 
situation  on  the  original  ruins  of  the  synagogue  of  Rabbi  Yehudah,  the 
Pious. 

This  synagogue  was  crowded  with  worshippers.  Whatever  might  have 
been  the  reputed  poverty  of  those  attending  the  services,  they  did  not  show 
it.  They  were  well  dressed,  and  the  interior  of  the  synagogue  presented  a 
very  pleasant  and  dignified  appearance.  It  was  well  illuminated  with  art¬ 
istic  lamps  presented  by  a  certain  Mr.  Lichtenstein,  of  Philadelphia,  who 
also  presented  a  large  case  of  Talmudic  literature  to  this  congregation. 

We  reached  the  hotel  to  find  everything  in  readiness  for  our  first  Sab¬ 
bath  meal  in  Jerusalem.  A  large  number  of  pilgrims  representing  many 
lands,  a  real  “Kibbuz  Galuyoth,”  were  sitting  around  a  long  table,  at  the 
head  of  which  was  Prof.  Schatz.  The  table  was  well  lighted  with  Sabbath 
candles.  On  the  table  was  wine,  honey  and  fruit  from  the  colonies.  There 
were  no  menu  cards,  but  the  names  of  the  different:  dishes  were  easy  to  pro¬ 
nounce,  and  the  cooking  was  of  a  character  creditable  to  the  daughters  of 
Jerusalem.  It  was  a  genuine  Sabbath  affair,  where  songs  of  the  Sabbath 
Bride  echoed  in  the  large  room,  and  music,  essentially  Jewish,  was 'heard 
from  every  mouth. 

The  real  .Sabbath  inspiration,  such  as  only  Palestine  can  create  in  the 
heart  of  a  Jew,  manifested  itself  among  the  sons  of  Israel  coming  to  Jeru¬ 
salem  for  the  first  time  from  distant  lands. 

12  Psalm  127,  13.  (Chibath  Jerusalem  5604-1834. > 

“  I  Kings  viii,  41,  42. 

u  The  views  of  that  Rabbi  are  not  corroborated  by  the  Jerusalem  Talmud.  According  to  the 
lalmud,  the  third  Temple  shall  be  built  as  the  second  one  was.  A  monarch  favorable  to  the  Jewish 
nation  shall  erect  it.  See  Mishne  Maazer  Sheni  5:2.  Yad  Hachazakah  Meiachim. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


MOUNT  MORIAH  AND  MOUNT  ZION 

My  first  night  in  Jerusalem  was  a  sleepless  one;  thoughts,  memories, 
fancies  and  all  sorts  of  strange  reflections  came  crowding  upon  me  as  I 
ventured  my  first  rest  in  the  ancient  Jewish  capital. 

For  the  first  time  I  found  myself  in  a  centre  of  great  historic  events. 
My  mind  was  wandering  over  the  striking  and  wonderful  occurrences  that 
transpired  here  since  Abraham's  faith  was  tested.  Just  across 
the  way  the  tower  of  Hippicus  still  stands,  the  citadel  built  by  David  and 
fortified  by  Herod  to  guard  against  the  encroachment  upon  the1  city  by  hos¬ 
tile  people,  and  a  little  further  toward  the  south  the  same  Mount  Zion 
where  Solomon  in  all  his  glory  erected  the  beautiful  palaces  for  the  royal 
house  of  David.  Further  on  toward  the  southeastern  part  of  the  city, 
the  same  venerable  Mount  Moriah  still  rises  enclosed  within  the  historic 
walls  wherein  the  Temple  was  located,  and  formed  the  centre  of  Jewish 
national  and  religious  life  in  days  gone  by,  and  the  scene  of  a  terrible  strug¬ 
gle  when  the  unfortunate  Judeans,  besieged  and  pressed  by  Titus,  fled 
here  to  their  Sanctuary  as  their  last  stronghold,  and  again,  later,  the  scene 
of  terrible  carnage  when  Tancred  at  the  head  of  his  army  attacked  here 
the  followers  of  the  Prophet  and  in  the  name  of  religion  massacred  ten 
thousand  Mohammedans. 

What  tales  of  suffering  are  written  on  these  quaint  walls,  and  could  we 
but  decipher  this  invisible  handwriting,  what  mysteries  would  it  disclose ! 
In  time  of  siege,  this  was  the  retreat  of  the  Jew,  a  refuge  for  helpless 
women,  children  and  infirm  old  age,  and  the  deathbed  of  heroes.  Such 
and  other  disturbing  thoughts  were  enough  to  keep  one  awake. 

I  went  to  an  open  window  of  my  room  and  was  looking  out  upon 
the  city.  The  streets  were  dark,  here  and  there  a  feeble  light  faintly  visible 
was  glimmering  from  a  few  upper  windows,  and  yonder  the  shadow  of  a 
man  who  moved  about  in  the  street  with  a  lantern  in  his  hand.  A  pro¬ 
found  silence,  infrequently  broken  by  the  wail  of  a  dog  at  some  distance, 
reigned  everywhere.  Nature  itself  appeared  to  have  swooned  around  the 
eternal  city. 


124 


THE  DAMASCUS  GATE,  JERUSALEM 

This  picture  is  a  splendid  representation  of  the  city  wall  and  the  Damascus 
•Gate  as  it  is  at  the  present  time  and  as  it  has  been  for  centuries.  It  is  on  the 
north  side  of  the  city. 


THE  CENTRAL  NATIONAL  JEWISH  LIBRARY,  JERUSALEM 
and  its  founder  Dr.  Joseph  Chazanawitz 

(See  Page  166) 


THE  TEMPLE  SITE  AND  THE  MOSQUE  OF  OMAR 

(See  Page  124) 


A  STREET  IN  TEL  ABIB 


MOUNT  MORIAH  AND  MOUNTZION 


125 


SUNRISE 

I  was  glad  indeed  to  see  the  dawn  of  day,  and  I  shall  always  remember 
the  sunrise  of  my  first  morning  in  Jerusalem.  It  began  at  first  with  a  flash, 
a  faint  but  beautiful  light  like  a  halo  over  the  Mount  of  Olives,  gradually 
turning  into  a  glow  that  illuminated  the  Olivet,  cast  faint  reflections  over 
the  greenish  dome  of  the  Mosque  o!f  Omar  and  shed  a  dim  light  over  the 
numerous  pale  white  tomblike  domes  that  characterize  the  Jerusalem  roofs 
and  lend  a  melancholy  complexion  to  the  old  city.  The  sky  was  deep  blue, 
and  far  up  an  eagle  with  outspread  wings  was  floating  in  the  air,  passing 
over  Mount  Moriah  and  over  the  deserted  shrines  of  the  ancient  Temple 
toward  the  Mountains  of  Moab.  Soon  afterward  the  sun  poured  out 
floods  of  light  over  all  the  hills  of  Judea. 

EARLY  MORNING  SCENES 

With  the  dawn  the  birds  began  singing  and  church  bells  ringing.  The 
voices  of  the  Muezzins  as  they  stood  on  the  minarets  calling  men  to  prayer 
vibrated  through  the  air,  and  the  trumpets  of  the  Mohammedan  soldiers 
from  the  quaint  tower  of  David  added  to  the  din.  Soon  Jerusalem  was  wide 
awake.  Lines  of  donkeys  and  camels  loaded  with  grain,  fruit  and  vege¬ 
tables  passing  in  front  of  their  masters  were  coming  in  by  the  Damascus 
and  Jaffa  gates  to  be  unloaded  at  the  market  place  beyond  the  Citadel. 

THE  JERUSALEM  MARKET 

The  market  place  in  Jerusalem  presents  a  novel  appearance.  Scores 
of  women  with  baskets  of  vegetables  before  them  selling,  among  other 
things,  eggplants,  lettuce,  beautiful  snow-white  cauliflower,  lemons,  oranges, 
apples  and  pears  were  shouting'  at  the  top  of  their  voices 
calling  for  customers.  Hoarse  Arab  peddlers  were  cursing  each 
other  for  snatching  buyers  away ;  men  bent  in  half,  carrying  water  in  the 
hides  of  goats,  were  advertising  fresh  water  at  reduced  prices.  Fierce-look- 
ing  Bedouins  from  the  desert,  with  their  heads  bound  round  with  ropes  of 
camels’  hair,  were  standing  in  line  in  front  of  their  donkeys  and  camels, 
soliciting  for  engagements  to  the  Dead  Sea,  and  Bethlehem  girls  with  high 
hats  and  fair  faces  were  selling  beads,  pearl  shells  and  Dead  Sea  stones. 
The  beads  are  of  glass  and  are  made  in  Hebron,  not  far  from  the  cave  which 
is  Abraham’s  tomb. 

The  rosary  business  is  one  of  the  chief  industries  at  the  market  place. 
The  bead  industry  is  mainly  situated  in  Bethlehem,  and  beads  are  shipped 


126 


NEW  JUDEA 


abroad  by  millions.  They  are  put  on  sale  here  and  eagerly  bought  by  Chris¬ 
tian  and  Mohammedan  pilgrims,  who  believe  that  if  you  count  the  rosaries 
•during  prayers  you  may  be  sure  that  your  prayers  will  ascend  to  heaven. 
Another  big  business  is  the  selling  of  candles.  Jerusalem  is  filled  with 
churches,  and  the  pilgrims  buy  candles  to  light  in  the  holy  places.  Some 
of  the  candles  are  as  thick  as  a  telegraph  pole.  These  candles  are  mostly 
burned  in  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  and  are  believd  to  carry  away 
the  sins  with  their  smoke.  Some  years  ago  a  huge  candle  as  big  as  a 
large  bucket,  sent  by  way  of  Jaffa  to  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre, 
was  discovered  by  the  authorities  to  be  filled  with  dynamite,  and  after  inves¬ 
tigation  it  was  found  that  it  was  sent  by  a  discontented  Greek  priest  to  blow 
up  his  Armenian  rivals  who  were  in  charge  of  the  church  at  that  time. 

The  noise  in  the  market  place  of  Jerusalem  is  worse  than  in  a  barn¬ 
yard.  Human  voices  are  mingled  with  those  of  animals ;  the  camei 
whines  and  growls  as  he  kneels  and  the  donkey  brays.  The  donkey 
of  Jerusalem  appears  to  be  a  direct  descendant  of  that  of  Balaam ;  it  will 
not  go  without  coaxing,  and  keeps  braying  in  a  voice  stronger  than  that 
which  spoke  unto  Balaam.  The  Jerusalem  roosters  are  noisy  creatures. 
They  are  believed  by  some  devotees  to  be  the  lineal  descendants  of  the  cock 
that  crowed  thrice  for  St.  Peter.1  You  may  see  them  by  the  hundreds,  lying 
tied  by  the  legs  on  the  stones.  The  present  city  government  does  not  recog¬ 
nize  the  old  Rabbinic  regulations  which  make  this  a  public  nuisance  and 
prohibit  the  raising  of  chickens  within  the  walls  of  the  city.2  Every 
family  in  Jerusalem  keeps  its  own  rooster.  There  are  so  many  that  the 
city  resounds  with  their  noise. 

KEHAL  ISTAMBUL 

It  was  about  7  o’clock  when  we  left  the  hotel.  Our  first  visit  was  to  the 
chief  synagogue  of  the  Sephardic  Community  “Kehal  Istambul.”  It  is  the 
House  of  Worship  where  the  Haham  Bashi  officiates,  and  is  considered  the 
most  prominent  in  Jerusalem.  The  synagogue  was  crowded  during  the 
morning  services.  Among  those  attending  the  services  were  the  leaders  of 
the  Sephardic  community  in  Jerusalem.  The  decorum  in  the  congregation 
was  exemplary,  and  the  services  very  impressive. 

THE  KARAITE  COMMUNITY 

On  our  return  we  stopped  at  the  Karaite  Synagogue,  a  modest  little 
edifice  situated  below  the  level  of  the  street,  which  the  Karaites  have  oceu- 


1  Mat.  xxvi:74r;  Mark  xlv:68;  Luke  xxii:0. 
3  B.  K.  80. 


MO  UNT  MORIAH  AND  MO  UNT  ZION 


127 


pied  for  many  centuries.  The  Karaites  had  a  much  larger  community  in 
Jerusalem  in  the  fifteenth  century,  but  they  have  decreased  since  that  time. 
In  1830  there  were  no  followers  of  Anan  ben  Saul  in  the  Holy  City,  and 
their  dwellings  which  were  situated  around  their  synagogue  were  inhabited 
by  other  Jews.  Their  entire  community  perished  during  an  epidemic,  for 
their  principles  would  not  permit  them  to  receive  medical  attention  because 
they  stick  to  the  letter  of  the  law  “I,  God,  am  thy  physician/’2  They  believe 
in  faith  cure  and  would  rather  die  than  violate  the  letter  of  the  law.  After 
the  epidemic  the  Karaites  of  Damascus  established  here  a  new  community. 
They  made  the  occupants  of  their  houses  return  to  them  their  traditional 
sites.  The  present  Karaite  population  of  Jerusalem  is  thirty,  including 
men,  women  and  children.  They  have  a  spiritual  leader,  the  “Haham,”  a 
venerable  old  man  in  his  sixties,  who  conversed  fluently  in  Hebrew  and 
received  us  very  cordially.  He  exhibited  to  us  a  scroll  of  the  law  which 
he  claimed  was  one  thousand  years  old,  and  a  book  of  the  law  six  hundred 
years  old  made  of  parchment  and  bearing  the  handwriting  of  a  gifted  scribe. 
It  was  during  the  mournful  “Three  Weeks,”  the  29th  day  of  Tamuz,  when, 
according  to  Karaite  tradition,  the  weekly  portion  of  the  law  cannot  be 
read  in  the  synagogue  from  the  scroll  and  must  be  read  from  the  book  as  a 
sign  of  mourning. 

He  walked  about  without  shoes,  for  no  Karaite  can  enter  a  house  of 
worship  with  his  shoes  on  or  without  first  washing  his  hands  and  feet.  A 
good  supply  of  water  is  always  kept  at  the  entrance  of  their  synagogue  for 
that  purpose. 

Their  love  of  Zion  and  their  longing  for  the  restoration  of  the  Temple 
and  the  Levitical  law  of  purity  are  almost  pathetic.  In  the  Middle  Ages 
they  constituted  the  so-called  “Mourners  of  Zion”  (Abele  Zion).  Some  of 
the  lamentations  and  litanies  composed  by  the  Karaites  of  Jerusalem  are 
chanted  by  Jews  in  general  when  visiting  the  Wailing  Wall. 

“Only  when  and  where  wine  can  be  offered  upon  the  altar  may  it  be 
used  upon  the 'table,”  said  the  founder  of  the  Karaite  sect,  and  they  there¬ 
fore  abstain  from  wine  as  long  as  the  Temple  remains  destroyed. 

Although  the  Karaites  have  been  separated  since  the  middle  qf  the  sev¬ 
enth  century  from  the  body  of  Israel,  their  physiognomy  does  not  differ 
from  that  of  other  Jews.  Observing  this  God-fearing  and  patriarchal-look¬ 
ing  follower  of  Anan,  and  noticing  his  love  and  reverence  for  the  Torah, 


3  Ex.  xv  :26. 


128 


NEW  JUDEA 


one  feels  that  these  literalists  are  Jews  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  they  differ 
in  certain  religious  practices  from  the  larger  body  of  Israel. 

MOUNT  MORIAH  AND  THE  TEMPLE  AREA 

There  is  one  place  in  Jerusalem  which  is  sacred  to  all  creeds.  What 
Jew  who  has  received  a  Biblical  education  does  not  yearn  for  an  oppor¬ 
tunity  to  see  Mount  Moriah — the  place  where  the  Temple  stood?  Is  there 
any  other  place  in  the  world  which  is  so  intimately  connected  with  so  many 
sacred  associations  dear  to  every  Jew,  as  Mount  Moriah?  And  yet  if  you 
wish  to  be  an  observant  Jew  you  must  not  step  on  this  holy  ground.  You 
may  venture  up  to  the  gate  but  no  further ;  for  there  is  a  ban  placed  on 
inquisitive  Jews  since  the  days  of  Maimonides,  and  there  is  no  way  for  you 
to  escape  the  punishment  of  excommunication  in  Jerusalem.  There  is 
always  sure  to  be  some  over-zealous  Jerusalemite  to  watch  you.  Moses 
Montefiore  was  excommunicated  by  the  Rabbis  of  Jerusalem  for  visiting 
the  Temple  area  and,  like  a  good  Jew,  took  the  penalty  prescribed  for  such 
an  offense. 

Why  cannot  a  Jew  enter  this  enclosure  and  walk  over  these  grounds, 
once  consecrated  by  his  fathers?  I  asked  myself.  Why  cannot  a  Jew  stand 
upon  the  sites  which  form  the  source  of  his  spiritual  life?  “Shall  we  sub¬ 
mit  to  the  old  ordinances  which  bar  us  out  from  a  place  that  ought  to  be  a 
common  ground  for  every  Jew?”  I  asked  my  friends.  Would  the  Greek 
tolerate  being  barred  from  visiting  the  Acropolis  when  he  is  at  Athens? 
”We  must  go  and  see  the  place  where  stood  the  shrine  of  our  ancestors, 
even  if  we  have  to  suffer  the  penalty  for  our  action,”  I  said  to  my  friends. 

It  was  Sabbath  afternoon  when  we  decided  to  visit  Mount  Moriah. 
We  selected  that  day  first,  because  we  wanted  to  make  this  Sabbath  the 
most  memorable  day  in  our  lives ;  second,  on  that  day  we  hoped  to  evade 
the  suspicions  of  some  pious  Jerusalemites.  We  entered  the  Haram  through 
the  cotton  gate  and  soon  were  enclosed  within  the  walls  of  the  Temple  area. 
It  is  hard  to  conceive  a  more  striking  situation  for  a  Sanctuary  than  this 
space  that  lies  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the  city,  overlooking  the  Valley 
of  Jehoshaphat.  Even  if  there  were  no  authentic  evidence,  one  would  at 
once  be  sure  that  here  must  be  the  site  selected  for  the  ancient  Temple,  for 
in  any  panorama  of  Jerusalem  this  large  level  and  open  space  is  the  most 
prominent.  The  area  is  about  thirty-six  acres  or  about  one-eighth  of  the 


MOUNT  MORIAH  AND  MOUNTZION 


129 


dimension  of  Jerusalem,  and  is  surrounded  by  a  wall  eighty  feet  high 
and  nine  feet  thick. 

For  over  six  hundred  years  this  place  was  closely  guarded  and  no  Jew 
or  Christian  could  enter  this  Haram.  The  sentinel  that  was  sent  here  by 
order  of  the  sublime  Porte  was  ready  to  shoot  at  any  unbeliever  who  dared 
to  enter.  It  is  only  since  1856  that  this  intolerance  was  somewhat  relaxed. 

THE  MOSQUE  OF  OMAR 
(HARAM  ESH  SHERIF) 

But  why  is  this  place  so  sacred  to  the  Mohammedans  that  for  six  hun¬ 
dred  years  they  closed  it  against  unbelievers?  Abu  Bekr  vouches  for  the 
veracity  of  the  Moslem  belief  that  from  the  Mosque  of  Omar  (as  it  was 
later  designated)  Mohammed  made  his  trip  to  Mecca  on  his  miraculous 
steed  El-Borak,  accompanied  by  Gabriel,  and  thence  through  the  Heavens. 
The  Moslem  sees  the  footprints  of  Mohammed  on  the  celebrated  rock,  and 
the  marks  of  the  angel’s  hand  that  prevented  the  stone  from  following 
Mohammed  through  his  aerial  flight.  Another  version  of  why  unbelievers 
were  not  permitted  to  enter  the  Haram  is  given :  A  prominent  Jewish  pil¬ 
grim,  while  on  a  visit  to  Jerusalem  in  1832,  asked  the  Governor  why  he 
would  not  allow  him  to  visit  that  place.  “There  is  one  place  in  the  Haram 
from  which  prayers  are  always  answered,”  said  the  Governor.  “Should  a 
Jew  go  there,  he  would  pray  that  his  Messiah  should  come,  and  he  will 
surely  come  and  drive  the  Moslems  out.”  “God  preserve  me,”  said  the 
pilgrim,  “from  abusing  your  hospitality  and  putting  you  in  danger.  If  I 
were  in  the  Mosque  I  would  pray  for  the  enlightenment  and  prosperity 
of  all  the  children  of  Allah.” 

Those  days  are  past,  however,  and  the  gate  of  the  Haram  can  be 
unlocked  for  anyone  who  offers  a  Bakshish,  and  so  we  passed  on  toward 
the  Mosque  of  Omar.  On  the  way,  at  the  front  of  the  Mosque,  is  situated 
an  ablution  fountain,  as  also  a  beautiful  marble  pulpit  where  sermons  are 
preached  on  Fridays  during  the  fast-month  of  Ramadan. 

The  Mosque  of  Omar,  or  the  “Dome  of  the  Rock,”  is  situated  on  a 
platform  ten  feet  high,  and  is  approached  by  three  flights  of  stairs  which 
terminate  in  beautiful  arcades  called  “Mawazan”  or  scales.  On  these 
arcades,  according  to  tradition,  the  scales  of  judgment  were  suspended.  On 
this  site  once  stood  the  Temple  of  Solomon  in  all  its  glory,  and  then  the 
humbler  sanctuary  of  Zerubabel,  as  well  as  the  Temple  erected  by  Herod. 
The  Dome  of  the  Rock  (Kubbet  esh  Shakhra)  is  the  most  picturesque  build- 


130 


NEW  JUDEA 


ing  in  Jerusalem.  It  is  to  Jerusalem  what  the  Acropolis  is  to  Athens.  The 
building  is  octagonal  in  shape  and  is  crowned  by  a  lofty  dome  that  rests  on 
pillars,  and  a  gilded  crescent  adorns  the  centre  of  the  dome.  The  exterior 
is  coated  with  fine  marble  up  to  the  window-sills  and  porcelain  tiles  of  exqui¬ 
site  colors  above.  It  is  indeed  of  poetic  interest ;  the  lines  are  so  simple,  the 
coloring  is  so  warm  and  the  ornamentation  so  superb  and  tasteful  that 
after  thirteen  hundred  years  there  is  no  building  in  Jerusalem  that  can 
compare  with  it,  including  the  costly  churches.  The  Dome  especially  is  a 
masterpiece  of  Oriental  genius.  The  masonry  of  the  Mosque  bears  indica¬ 
tions  of  different  ages,  Solomonic,  Herodian  and  Saracenic,  and  the  stones 
in  the  buildings  probably  are  taken  from'  the  previous  temple  building,  more 
likely  from  the  last  Temple  built  by  Hadrian  to  Jupiter.  The  Arabs  call  it 
Haram  Esh  Sherif,  or  noble  sanctuary,  and  consider  it  second  in  sacredness 
only  to  the  great  Mosque  of  the  Prophet  in  the  Holy  City  of  Mecca. 

It  is  said  that  Abdel-Melek,  who  (688  C.  E.)  built  the  Mosque  in 
honor  of  the  third  Caliph — Omar  (634-44  C.  E.),  ordered  the  right  hand 
of  the  architect  to  be  cut  off  after  the  edifice  was  completed,  that  he  might 
not  erect  such  a  shrine  for  anyone  else.  The  grounds  around  the  Mosque 
are  well  preserved  with  beautiful  lawns  and  trees,  such  as  olives  and 
cypresses. 

THE  ROCK  (EBEN  SHETHIYAH) 

By  far  the  most  interesting  object  in  Mosque  is  the  Rock  “Shakhra,”  in 
Hebrew  “Eben  Shethiyah”  (the  foundation  stone),  about  fifty  to  sixty  feet 
in  diameter  and  about  six  feet  above  the  marble  floor.  It  is  enclosed  by  a 
gilt  iron  fence  strongly  built,  while  above  stretches  a  rich  canopy  of  crim¬ 
son  silk.  There  is  nothing  remarkable  in  the  appearance  of  the  rock  except 
the  fact  that  it  is  a  remnant  of  the  highest  point  of  the  original  ridge  of 
Mount  Moriah.  For  housing  that  rock  this  costly  edifice  was  constructed, 
and  in  honor  of  it  this  beautiful  dome  was  placed  above  it.  What  could 
have  been  the  object  of  preserving  this  stone  intact  is  problematic.  One 
thing,  however,  can  be  stated  with  a  measure  of  certainty,  that  we  looked 
upon  a  spot  which  for  long  centuries  of  promise  and  prophecy  Israel  kept 
most  holy.  It  has  become  sacred  to  the  Jews,  for  according  to  Jewish  tra¬ 
dition,  it  is  the  identical  rock  upon  which  Melchizedek  offered  sacrifice,  upon 
which  Abraham  was  ready  to  sacrifice  his  son,  and  which  served  Jacob  as  a 
pillow.  The  same  stone  where  the  covenant  of  the  law  was  placed,  where 
the  Holy  of  Holies  was  situated2,  and  tradition  has  it  that  here  was  the 


2  Maimonides  Yad  Hachazadah,  ch.  Beth  Habchira  2:1. 


MOUNT  MORIAH  AND  MOUNT  ZION 


131 


treshing  floor  of  Araunah,  which  David  purchased  to  errect  an  altar  for 
the  Lord.3 

Strange  enough  that  the  “Eben  Shethiyah”  (foundation  stone)  is  not 
mentioned  in  the  Bible.  The  Talmud,  however,  contains  many  references 
to  that  Rock  and  surrounds  it  with  many  legends.  “It  is  the  foundation 
stone  on  which  the  world  was  based'’4.  “Adam  was  moulded  here,  where 
afterward  he  built  an  altar.  Cain  and  Abel  offered  sacrifices  here.  Noah 
after  the  flood  built  an  altar  on  this  rock.” 

The  Mohammedans  have  borrowed  the  Jewish  legends  and  have 
expanded  upon  them.  They  believe  that  the  Sukhra  remained  suspended  in 
the  air  when  it  attempted  to  follow  the  Prophet  on  his  way  to  Paradise, 
and  it  was  due  to  Archangel  Gabriel,  who  put  his  hand  on  it,  that  it  was 
left  in  the  present  position.  In  the  cavern  under  the  rock  are,  according  to 
tradition,  hidden  treasures  of  Solomon’s  Temple.  King  Josiah,  anticipating 
the  fall  of  the  Temple,  concealed  them  there.  Some  years  ago  the  Moham¬ 
medan  population  of  Jerusalem  was  in  an  uproar  when  a  report  spread  that 
two  Englishmen  secretly  got  to  this  cavern  and  carried  off  these  treasures. 
Beneath  that  rock,  according  to  Mohammedan  traditions,  is  the  well  of  souls 
and  entrance  to  Hades,  and  on  that  stone  will  Allah  erect  his  throne  on 
the  Day  of  Judgment.  It  is  next  in  sacredness  to  the  Black  Stone  of  Mecca. 
At  the  end  of  days — is  Islam’s  belief,  the  Kaaba  of  Mecca  will  come  to  the 
Sukhra  of  Jerusalem  and  then  the  blast  of  the  trumpet  will  sound  from 
here  to  summon  all  mankind  to  the  valley  of  Jehoshaphat. 

There  is  a  small  chamber  under  the  rock.  Beneath  is  said  to  be  a  large 
cave  about  six  hundred  feet  square  and  six  feet  high5. 

Our  dragoman  pointed  to  the  place  in  that  cave  where  prayers'  are  best 
heard.  Mohammed  himself  declared  that  one  prayer  in  the  Sukhra  is  bet¬ 
ter  than  thousands  elsewhere.  Abraham,  David  and  Elijah  are  said  to  have 
prayed  there.  In  the  centre  of  the  cave  is  a  marble  slab  that  encloses  an 
opening  to  a  deeper  cave.  The  Moslem  regards  it  as  the  entrance  to  Hades. 
Until  forty  years  ago — our  guide  told  us,  people  came  here  to  converse  with 
the  departed  souls  of  their  deceased  relatives,  but  a  certain  widow  who  was 
curious  and  talkative  carried  about  gossip  from  the  living  to  the  dead  and 
caused  trouble  in  Jerusalem,  disturbing  the  peace  of  the  community  and 


3 II  Samuel  xxiv:21;  II  Chron.  iii:l-3;  I  Chron  xxi:18-3i* * 

*  Yoma  54b. 

B  The  Jews  believe  that  the  “sacred  coffer  of  relics”  is  hidden  here  (Yoma  54b). 


132 


NEW  JUDEA 


made  an  uproar  below  as  a  result.  The  opening  had  to  be  closed  up  to  pre¬ 
vent  further  mischief-making6. 

I  regret  that  time  did  not  permit  a  longer  stay  in  this  remarkable  sanc¬ 
tuary.  We  were  anxious  to  see  other  places  of  interest  on  Mount  Moriah. 
We  therefore  went  to  the  next  prominent  mosque,  “El  Aksa,”  which  is  held 
in  great  reverence  by  the  Mohammedans.  It  is  said  that  the  heavy-pillared 
substructure  is  taken  from  Solomon’s  Temple.  As  might  be  expected,  a 
good  deal  of  superstition  and  gossip  surround  “El  Aksa”  also.  Our  guide 
is  authority  for  the  statement  that  the  cave  below  unites  with  the  double 
cave  of  Hebron,  and  that  when  one  walks  on  a  certain  black  stone  on  the 
floor  of  the  portico  with  closed  eyes  he  will  surely  get  to  Heaven.  Of  course, 
he  wanted  pay  for  extending  that  privilege.  I,  however,  was  not  inclined  to 
enter  Hades  with  my  eyes  closed,  and  we  passed  on  to  the  “Medras  Salomo,” 
a  place  said  to  be  built  by  Solomon,  where,  according  to  tradition,  that  king 
established  the  Sanhedrin.  Medras  Salomo  is  connected  with  the 
Temple  by  an  avenue  of  trees  surrounded  by  a  moat.  To  this  place  the  Arabs 
bring  their  dead  relatives  before  interment  to  escape  the  Eternal  Judgment. 

Nearby  are  Solomon’s  stables  (Urvoth  Sh’lomo),  which  are  a  series  of 
spacious  subterranean  vaults  fifteen  feet  high.  There  are  fifteen  rows  of 
massive  square  pillars  connected  with  each  other  by  arches  that  support  the 
superstructure  of  the  Temple  platform.  The  mighty  stones  of  those  pillars 
are  so  heavy  that  it  would  be  impossible  to  handle  them  without  modern 
machinery.  It  is  situated  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the  Temple,  and  is 
supposed  to  be  the  place  where  Solomon  kept  his  horses  and  cattle. 
It  is  hard  to  conceive,  however,  that  such  a  holy  place  as  the  Temple  area 
should  have  been  used  for  the  King’s  private  stable.  A  more  plausible 
theory  would  be  that  the  so-called  Solomon’s  stables  were  intended  for  the 
cattle  brought  to  Jerusalem  by  Jewish  pilgrims  from  all  over  the  land  for 
sacrifices. 

From  there  we  passed  the  Golden  Gate  (Bab-el-Rahoma,  the  gate  of 
Mercy).  According  to  an  Arab  tradition,  Messiah  is  to  make  His  victori¬ 
ous  entry  into  Jerusalem  through  that  gate  and  take  possession  of  the  city 
for  Israel,  and  out  of  fear  the  Mohammedans  keep  this  portal  walled  up. 
Another  legend  connected  with  the  gate  is  “when  the  end  of  the,  world  comes, 
a  spider  thread  will  bridge  this  space  over  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat  to  the 
Mount  of  Olives.  Jews  and  Christians  will  strive  to  cross  on  it  but  will  be 

6  According  to  Talmud  (Jer.  Suk.  11:2),  a  priest  once  noticed  that  the  flooring  under 
his  feet  was  uneven.  He  showed  it  to  a  comrade  with  the  view  to  investigate  it.  No  sooner 
had  he  spoken  when  a  spark  bursting  out  through  the  floor  of  the  cavern  killed  him. 


MOUNT  MORIAH  AND  MOUNT  ZION 


133 


destroyed ;  then  the  Moslem,  filled  with  terror,  will  pray  to  Mohammed  to 
help  them  cross,  whereupon  the  Prophet  will  transform  himself  into  a  ram, 
the  faithful  into  fleas,  and  the  ram  will  carry  the  fleas  in  his  fleece.  Thus 
we  see  that  the  most  supreme  relics  are  made  the  basis  of  superstitions, 
and  the  most  historical  localities  form  the  origin  of  nursery  tales. 

THE  VALLEY  OF  JEHOSHAPHAT 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  when  we  left  Mount  Moriah.  We  passed 
the  Zion  Gate  and  thence  to  the  “Tombs  of  the  Kings  of  the  House  of 
David.”  In  about  twenty  minutes  we  were  on  Mount  Zion,  where  the  royal 
palaces  were  formerly  situated,  now  covered  with  cemeteries.  We  stopped 
in  front  of  an  ancient  building,  now  a  Mohammedan  mosque,  said  to  have 
been  erected  by  Queen  Helena  over  the  catacombs  of  the  House  of  David. 
No  historical  monument  in  Jerusalem  is  better  authenticated  than  these 
tombs. 

This  place  is  looked  upon  with  reverence  by  the  three  principal  faiths. 
The  Mohammedan  pilgrims  perform  their  devotions  there ;  Christians  have 
a  tradition  that  Christ  held  the  Passover  there  (the  last  supper)  ;  and  Jews 
until  a  few  years  ago  were  accustomed  to  assemble  there  on  the  second  day 
of  Shabuoth  (Feast  of  Weeks)  to  recite  psalms  and  chant  excerpts  from 
the  Bible  and  Mishna  )Tikkun-Shabuoth)  over  the  graves  of  the  kings  of 
Judah.* 7 

There  are  all  sorts  of  stories  told  about  the  splendor  of  these  tombs. 
The  spot  is  enveloped  in  so  much  mystery  that  no  one  can  tell  the  truth. 
Those  that  claim  to  have  seen  it  probably  saw  only  a  cenotaph,  which  is  in 
a  cave  above  the  real  tombs.  The  upper  hall  which  has  been  seen  by  privi¬ 
leged  visitors  is  embellished  with  rich  draperies,  hangings  and  gold  embroid¬ 
eries  and  contains  a  sarcophagus.  Candles  are  always  burning  there. 

In  1839  Sir  Moses  and  Lady  Montefiore  were  permitted  to  look  through 
the  lattice  of  a  trellised  door  and  behold  the  tombs  of  the  Kings8.  Of  the 
size  and  appearance  of  the  sepulchre,  it  is  impossible  to  speak  with  accu¬ 
racy,  as  the  Moslems  who  guard  its  entrance  with  religious  superstition 
would  not  allow  any  one  to  enter.  Like  most  tombs  of  that  period,  it  is 
most  likely  made  of  solid  rock  and  ornamented  in  a  manner  becoming  to 
royalty. 

A  very  curious  story  relating  to  the  discovery  of  the  tombs  of  the 
kings  of  Judah  is  told  by  Benjamin  of  Tudela,  who  claims  to  have  heard  it 
from  the  mouth  of  Rabbi  Abraham  El-Constantine,  a  pious  ascetic: 

1  An  end  was  put  to  this  practice  through  a  decree  issued  by  the  Chief  Rabbi  of  the 

Ashkenazim,  Samuel  Salant. 

8  Barclay’s  City  of  Great  Kings,  pp.  214-215. 


134 


NEW  JUDEA 


In  the  year  1155  C.  E.,  or  fifteen  years  before  Benjamin  vis¬ 
ited  Jerusalem,  one  of  the  walls  of  the  place  of  zvorship  on  Mount 
Zion  gave  way.  The  Patriarch  ordered  a  priest  to  repair  it. 

The  latter  hired  twenty  laborers  at  fixed  wages  to  rebuild  the  wall. 

Two  of  these  builders  came  late  one  day  and,  trying  to  make  up 
the  lost  time,  continued  longer  at  their  jobs. 

While  digging  at  the  foundation  they  came  upon  a  large  mar¬ 
ble  slab.  Lifting  the  stone,  they  discovered  an  entrance  to  a  cave, 
and  exploring  that  subterranean  passage  they  came  upon  a  large 
chamber  wherein  stood  two  tablets  and  on  each  side  zvas  a  gold 
sceptre,  a  crown  and  many  other  royal  ensigns.  The  Sepulchre  of 
David  was  to  the  right  of  the  chamber,  and  that  of  his  son  Solo¬ 
mon  to  the  left;  and  behind  were  rozvs  of  other  tombs  of  Kings 
of  Judah.  There  zvere  also  near  the  sarcophagi  many  locked  up 
iron  chests  in  the  chamber. 

They  zvere  about  to  get  zvithin  the  hall  when  a  strong  wind, 
like  a  hurricane,  suddenly  came  blowing  from  the  cavern,  throzmng 
them  back  in  the  cave  unconscious.  Recovering,  they  heard  a  voice 
commanding  them  to  leave  the  place.  The  next  day  the  Patriarch 
sent  for  these  men  to  ascertain  what  they  saw,  and  they  convinced 
him  that  they  zvere  telling  the  truth.  He  also  made  them  come 
before  Rabbi  Abraham  to  repeat  the  story,  and  the  Rabbi  zvas  sat¬ 
isfied  that  they  had  seen  the  sepulchres  of  the  Royal  Family  of 
Judah.  The  laborers  feared  to  return  to  that  place  and  the  eccle- 
siast  ordered  the  place  to  be  walled  up.3 

According  to  Josephus,  Solomon  interred  his  father  here  with  great 
magnificence  and  with  all  the  funeral  pomp  wherewith  kings  used  to  be 
buried,8 9  and  he  concealed  there  numerous  treasures, 'which  lay  undisturbed 
through  the  revolution  of  the  kingdom  until  Hyrcanus,  the  son  of  Simon 
Tharsi,  130  B.  C.  E.,  driven  by  necessity  of  war,  removed  the  royal  vaults 
and  handed  3000  talents  of  silver  to  Antiochus  Sidetes  to  raise  the  siege  of 
Jerusalem  and  grant  him  terms  of  peace10.  Hyrcanus,  however,  did  not 
approach  the  dust  of  David.  Herod,  hearing  of  the  treasure  discovered  by 
the  son  of  Simon  and  being  in  need  of  funds  to  complete  his  great  work  in 
Jerusalem,  made  an  attempt  to  find  the  treasures.  In  search  thereof  he  even 

8  Benjamin  of  Tudela,  pp.  38-39;  Bohn  series  also  “Eight  Years  in  Asia  and  Africa,” 
by  J.  J.  Benjamin,  11  English  edition,  Hanover,  1859,  p.  20, 

9  Antiq.  B  VII,  Ch.  XV  3. 

1#  Ibid. 


MOUNT  MORIAH  AND  MOUNT  ZION 


135- 


entered  the  chambers  that  contained  the  bodies  of  David  and  Solomon.  He, 
however,  met  with  no  success,  because  two  of  his  guards  who  were  searching 
for  royal  treasure  were  killed  by  a  flame  bursting  upon  them.11’12 

The  Jews  always  regarded  with  affection  the  sepulchre  of  the  kings. 
Nehemiah  gave  Artaxerxes  the  reason  for  his  sadness  “that  the  place  of  my 
fathers’  tomb  lieth  waste  and  the  gates  thereof  are  consumed  with  fire,”1* 
and  when  Nehemiah  completed  the  wall  of  the  city  begun  by  Shalum,  he 
extended  the  wall  “unto  the  place  over  against  the  Sepulchre  of  David.”14 

Returning,  we  passed  around  the  quaint  old  wall  looking  down  at  the 
Valley  of  Jehoshaphat. 

To  look  down  in  this  valley  is  to  recall  a  great  part  of  Jewish  history, 
for  every  foot  of  territory  is  historical.  Down  below  is  the  path  through 
which  David  fled  from  the  conspiracy  of  Absalom,  and  above  is  the  Mount 
of  Olives,  with  its  large  number  of  chapels,  thousands  of  tombstones  and 
scattered  trees.  Here  is  Mount  Scopus,  where  the  Assyrians  were  encamped 
against  the  Judeans,  where  the  Romans  and  Persians  massed  their  armies 
against  Jerusalem,  and  where  the  Saracens  and  Crusaders  pitched  their 
tents  to  attack  the  Holy  City.  How  often  was  the  air  here  darkened  with 
missiles  directed  against  this  shining  prize,  and  how  many  armies  have  closed 
in  upon  this  spot! 

There  is  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat.  It  curves  down  until  it  is  merged 
in  the  Valley  of  Kedron.  That  valley  perhaps  is  the  saddest  place  on  earth. 
At  no  place  on  the  globe  is  death  so  visible  as  here.  Nature  appears  tired 
and  worn  out.  This  valley  lies  between  Mount  Moriah  and  the  Mount  of 
Olives.  At  the  foot  of  the  Mount  of  Olives  rise  several  monuments,  to  one 
of  which  tradition  attaches  the  name  of  Absalom ;  stones  are  thrown  by 
natives  at  the  tomb  of  the  would-be'patricide  as  a  mark  of  disapproval. 
There  was  formerly  a  form  of  a  hand  on  the  tower,  and  the  story  goes 
that  Napoleon  ordered  his  bodyguards  to  strike  down  the  hand  of  the 
man  who  rose  against  his  own  father.  Nearby  is  the  tomb  of  Jehosha¬ 
phat,  and  the  monolith  of  Zachriah  (the  entire  mausoleum  being  hewn 
out  of  one  rock)  is  next  seen.  Behind  them  stretches  a  long  line  of 
tombstones  more  modern  than  the  others,  and  an  infinite  number  of 
other  tombstones  lies  on  the  ground. 

11  Jos.  Ant.  B,  xvi  :7,  1. 

12  There  is  an  old  tradition  that  the  Sceptre  of  Solomon  was  deposited  in  that  tomb,  and 
none  dares  to  touch  it  but  a  descendant  of  the  House  of  David.  This  tradition  gave  rise  to 
the  romance  of  David  Alroy,  by  Benjamin  Disraeli.  See  preface,  by  the  author  of  David  Alroy, 

13  Neh.  ii:3. 

u  Ibid.  ‘  '  :  'll  1 


136 


NEW  JUDEA 


From  time  immemorial  the  Jew  has  preferred  this  valley  above  any 
other  for  his  last  resting  place.  A  pious  Jew  was  always  eager  to  be 
entombed  under  the  shade  of  the  rocks  of  Moriah  and  the  walls  of  the 
Temple,  since  here,  according  to  tradition,  will  be  the  scene  of  resurrec¬ 
tion  and,  being  entombed  here,  one  would  be  saved  a  long  journey  through 
the  body  of  the  earth  at  the  end  of  days.  Also  the  death  would  here  rise 
out  of  their  graves  and  appear  before  His  judgment  seat  to  receive  rewards 
for  their  deeds.  Thus  said  the  Prophet,  “The  day  will  come  when  the 
Eternal  will  judge  the  nations  assembled  in  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat.”15 

It  is  not  surprising,  therefore,  that  there  was  always  something  de¬ 
pressing  and  inexpressibly  sad  in  the  features  and  customs  of  the  Jews  of 
Jerusalem.  It  was  due  to  the  fact  that  they  came  here  to  die,  and  a  com¬ 
munity  gathered  for  such  a  purpose  cannot  be  in  a  particularly  happy 
mood,  or  careful  about  appearances. 

The  rise  of  the  Jewish  National  sentiment  has  brought  a  revolution 
even  in  the  Holy  City.  The  stream  of  the  new  immigration  has  brought 
new  life  to  a  hitherto  dead  city.  The  young  Judeans  come  here  to  live 
rather  than  to  die,  to  rebuild  the  ruin  of  Zion,  and  rehabilitate  the  city 
of  David  and  to  make  Jerusalem  again  “the  joy  of  the  whole  earth.” 

18  Joel  iv.  2:12. 

11  Joel  III. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


NEW  JERUSALEM 

The  condition  of  the  Jewish  people  in  old  Jerusalem  will  be  best  under¬ 
stood  when  the  topography  of  the  Holy  City  is  surveyed.  Not  claiming 
to  be  too  exact,  the  city  may  be  said  to  occupy  a  semi-circular  platform, 
the  semi-circle  facing  the  south.  Beginning  from  the  west  of  the  half- 
circle  and  turning  round  south  is  the  valley  of  Hinnom,  at  the  southeast  it 
merges  with  the  valley  of  the  brook  of  Kidron,  and  through  that  valley 
with  the  valley  Jehoshaphat  in  the  east,  where  it  completes  the  boundaries 
of  the  city.  Thus,  from  three  sides,  Jerusalem  is  a  “city  set  on  a  hill.” 
The  north  of  the  platform — or  the  base  of  the  semi-circle — is  the  only  part 
not  marked  by  a  depression  and  is  on  a  level  with  adjacent  territory1. 

Now  if  a  line  represented  by  Damascus  Street  from  the  north  be  drawn 
towards  the  Zion  Gate  to  the  southland  another  cross-line  be  drawn  from 
Jaffa  Gate  west  along  David  Street,  the  point  of  intersection  of  both  streets 
is  the  centre  of  the  city,  and  it  divides  the  old  city  into  four  parts. 

The  northern  part  will  be  found  to  constitute  four-fifths  of  the  city, 
and  is  occupied  by  Moslems  in  the  east  and  by  the  Christian  quarters 
in  the  west.  The  southern  part  of  the  city,  which  forms  only  one-fifth  of 
Jerusalem,  is  occupied  by  Jews  in  the  east  and  the  Armenian  quarters  in 
the  west.  The  entire  length  of!  the  city  from  Damascus  Gate  in  the  north 
to  the  Zion  Gate  at  the  south  is  barely  one-sixth  of  a  mile,  and  the  area 
of  the  historic  city  within  the  walls  is  only  210  acres,  or  less  than  one- 
third  of  a  square  mile.  One  can  walk  from  one  end  of  the  city  to  the 
other  in  ten  minutes.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  Jewish  quarters  occupy¬ 
ing  only  a  small  part  of  the  city,  had  hardly  room  enough  to  house  several 
thousand  Jews,  and  were  entirely  inadequate  for  the  increased  immigra¬ 
tion  of  the  latter  years.  The  question  of  finding  hospices  for  the  large 
number  of  immigrants  became  years  ago  a  very  serious  one,  and  had  to 
be  solved. 

To  an  American  philanthropist  is  due  the  credit  of  opening  up  the 
gates  of  Jerusalem  into  its  suburbs.  Judah  Touro2  conceived  the  idea  of 

1  It  was  always  through  the  northern  part  of  the  city  that  Jerusalem  was  captured. 

2  Born  at  Newport,  R.  I.  (June  16,  1775),  died  in  New  Orleans,  La.  (January  13,  1845). 

137 


138 


NEW  JUDEA 


building  dwellings  for  poor  Jews  of  Jerusalem  outside  of  the  city  walls  as 
a  means  of  relieving  the  distressing  conditions  of  his  co-religionists  of  the 
Holy  City.  He  willed  a  sum  of  $60,000  for  that  purpose  in  trust  of  Sir 
Moses  Montefiore  and  the  “North  American  Relief  Society  for  the  Indi¬ 
gent  Jews  of  Jerusalem.”  These  alms  houses,  known  by  the  Hebrew  name, 
“Batei  Mishkenoth  Shaananim,”  or  erroneously  called  “Montefiore 
Houses,”  were  built  in  the  year  i860,  on  the  road  to  Hebron,  southwest  of 
the  old  city.3 

This  was  quite  an  innovation.  It  laid  a  foundation  for  a  New  Jeru¬ 
salem  and  made  a  new  epoch)  in  the  history  of  the  Holy  City.  It  was  prob¬ 
ably  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  Jerusalem  that  its  quaint  walls  were 
broken  through  by  friends  in  order  to  make  it  larger,  healthier  and  better. 
It  was  also  a  new  experiment  for  the  Jews  who  erstwhile  came  here  from 
the  diaspora  to  die  within  the  walls  of  the  Holy  City  to  venture  life  out 
of  the1  massive  walls ;  and  indeed  it  was  not  an  easy  task  to  establish  people 
in  the  suburban  colony  of  “Touro”.  It  was  difficult  to  find  Jews  daring 
enough  to  live  several  miles  away  from  the  city ;  even  to  walk  singly  out¬ 
side  the  city  boundaries,  was  something  that  the  Jerusalem  Jews  dreaded. 
These  new  settlers  were  drawn  by  lot,  and  the  occupants  of  the  first  houses 
were  for  some  years  on  the  pay-roll.  Gradually  the  Jews  of  Jerusalem 
convinced  themselves  that  their  fear  was  unfounded  and  realized  that 
the  inhabitants  of  the  Touro  Colony  were  perfectly  contented  with  their 
new  domiciles  and  greatly  preferred  the  new  abodes  to  the  dingy,  subter¬ 
ranean  huts  of  the  old  city.  Many  new  colonies  soon  sprang  up  on  the 
Jaffa  Road,  in  the  western  side  of  the  city,  and  beyond  the  Damascus  Gate, 
and  not  by  the  help  of  the  philanthropists,  but  on  private  initiative.  Inde¬ 
pendent  building  organizations  were  founded,  and  many  suburbs  came 
rapidly  into  existence.  “A  Hundred  Gates”  (Meah  Shearim  i860),  the 
largest  colony,  is  thus  named  because  the  original  company  consisted  of 
one  hundred  stockholders,  each  one  contributing  annually  $40.00.  This 
suburb  is  situated  at  the  northwestern  entrance  olf  the!  city  .  Other  suburbs 
are  “The  House  of  Israel,”  “Stone  of  Israel,”  “Tabernacle  of  Peace,” 
“Rechoboth,”  “Moses  Gate”  and  “Inheritance  of  Seven.”  Many  clusters  of 
hospices  overhanging  the  Valley  of  Hinnom  are  occupied  by  the  Yemenite 
Jews. 

The  idea  of  building  houses  found  favor  with  the  Kolelim,  many  of 
which  built  and  maintained  new  groups  of  houses  in  the  various  parts  of 
the  city. 


*  See  Diaries  of  Sir  Moses  and  Lady  Montefiore,  Vol.  I,  p.  109.  Chicago,  1890. 


NEW  JERUSALEM 


139 


Private  individuals  followed  the  scheme ;  among  them  mention  should 
be  made  of  three  Americans.  Moses  M.  Vodner  and  Moses  Alexander 
each  built  twenty  houses,  and)  the  late  Nathan  Marks,  of  Chicago,  is  re¬ 
sponsible  for  a  group  of  fifty  houses  bearing  the  name  “Nathan's  Village" 
(Kefar  Nathan).  The“Ika"  has  built  quarters  for  workingmen  (Nahalath 
Zion),  which  are  sold  on  easy  terms,  also  a  row  of  houses  for  wealthy 
tenants  Nahalath  Zadoc  (after  the  late  chief  Rabbi  of  France). 

Later  real  estate  speculators  made  their  appearance  and  the  idea  was 
taken  up  as  a  business  venture.  People  began  to-  build  or  buy  houses  in 
New  Jerusalem  as  a  profitable  investment.  Now  New  Jerusalem  built  be¬ 
yond  the  city  walls  is  much  larger  than  the  old  city,  and  it  is  a  pleasure 
to  look  at  the  neat  clusters  of  houses  that  have  grown  up  during  the  last 
quarter  of  a  century. 

THE  HALUKAH 

Since  “Halukah"  was  the  instrument  that  enabled  the  returned  Sons 
of  Israel  to  resettle  in  the  Holy  City  virtually  from  the  earliest  period  of  the 
dispersion,  it  is  well  to  consider  it  when  speaking  of  New  Jerusalem  in  order 
to  form  some  idea  of  the  influence  it  exercised  on  the  new  life  that  is  sprout¬ 
ing  in  Palestine  in  general  and  in  the  Holy  City  in  particular. 

The  “Halukah,"  which  literally  signifies  “division"  or  disbursement,  is 
an  organized;  effort  on  the  part  of  Jews  of  the  diaspora  to  collect  funds 
for  distribution  among  the  Jews  in  the  Holy  Land,  principally  Jerusalem. 
The  recipients  of  this  Universal  Jewish  Collection  are  divided  into  two 
classes:  Sephardim  [called  also  Spaniols  (Espagnols),  Franks,  or  “El 
Yehud"]  and  Ashkenazim  [El  Shiknaz]. 

The  first  are  the  descendants  of  the  Jews  who  were  exiled  from  Spain 
in  1492  and  a  few  years  later  from  Portugal,  and  to  whom  Bajazet  II,  Sul¬ 
tan  of  Turkey,  granted  free  admission  to  the  Ottoman  Empire3. 

The  Jews  of  the  Oriental  countries,  though  they  are  not  Sephardim  in 
the  literal  sense,  are  considered  under  this  class  because  of  their  common 
liturgy  and  ritual.  The  language  spoken  among  the  Jews  of  Spanish  par¬ 
entage  is  the  Ladino  or  Spagniol,  a  Judeo-Spanish  dialect.  It  is  a  mixture 
of  the  fifteenth  century  Castilian,  Hebrew  and  Arabic  languages,  as  the 
Yiddish  is  middle  high  German  mixed  with  Hebrew,  Slavic  and  Lithuanian 
dialects. 

*  To  this  group  may  be  added  the  North  African,  Maghrebin.  Jews  from  Tunis,  Algiers, 
Tripoli  and  Morocco  and  the  Arab  Jews  from  Yemen,  the  Persian  Jews  “Adjami”;  the  Jews 
from  Bokhara,  Mesopotamia,  and  Syrian  cities  such  as  Aleppo,  Urfa  or  Urfoli,  and  Jews  of 
Transcaucasia,  Daghestan  and  Georgia  (Grusinia). 


140 


NEW  JUDEA 


The  population  of  the  Sephardic  element  of  Jerusalem  is,  according  to 
Joshua  Barzilai4:  Spagnols,  6oco;  Yemenites,  3000;  Persians,  1200;  Gru- 
sinians,  1000;  Bocharians,  500;  Maghrebins,  1500;  total,  13,200.  Out  of 
this  number  only  about  1000  depend  entirely  on  the  Halukah,  among  them 
are  the  Hahamim  (students  of  the  Yeshibah),  widows  and  orphans. 

The  theory  of  the  Sephardim  is  that  the  purpose  of  the  Halukah  is  a 
premium  upon  Jewish  learning,  therefore  no  one  but  a  Talmid  Hacham  and 
schools  of  Jewish  learning  are  entitled  to  a  share  in  the  Halukah.  (The 
fund,  however,  also  pensions  widows  and  orphans  and  is  used  for  com¬ 
munal  needs.) 

The  Ashkenazim  (El  Shiknaz  in  Arabic)  embrace  all  Jews  of  Eastern 
Europe,  Germany,  France,  England  and  America.  Their  vernacular  was 
until  recently  Yiddish  (of  late  Hebrew  is  rapidly  taking  its  place  among  the 
new  generation). 

It  is  difficult  to  establish  with  any  degree  of  certainty  the  time  when 
the  Ashkenazim  arrived  in  Jerusalem.  The  Seder  Hadoroth5  gives  us  reason 
to  believe  that  there  were  Ashkenazim  in  Jerusalem  as  early  as  the  eleventh 
century.  It  quotes  Elijah  Baal  Shem  of  Chelm  as  saying  that  once  a  Jew 
of  German  origin  saved  a  Crusader  named  Dolberger  from  death,  and  out 
of  gratitude  his  family  saved  many  Jewish  lives  in  Palestine. 

In  the  middle  of  the  thirteenth  century  a  prosperous  Ashkenazic  com¬ 
munity,  by  no  means  dependent  on  Halukah,  existed  in  the  Holy  City. 
Jewish  scholarship  then  flourished  in  France,  Paris  became  a  centre  of  Jew¬ 
ish  learning,  and  when  Rabbi  Yehiel,  the  head  of  the  Rabbinical  school, 
sent  messengers  to  Jerusalem  to  collect  money  for  the  Paris  Yeshibah  the 
wealthy  members  of  the  Jerusalem  community  responded  liberally.6 

Rabbi  Yehiel  was  so  well  impressed  with  the  liberality  of  the  Jews  of 
Jerusalem  that  when  persecution  of  Jews  in  France  broke  out7  and  the  royal 
edicts  included  burning  of  the  Talmud  and  Rabbinic  literature,  Rabbi  Yehiel, 
at  the  head  of  three  hundred  disciples,  of  French  and  English  nativity, 
removed  his  school  to  Jerusalem,  where  he  was  received  by  the  Sultan  with' 
honors.  The  sultan  built  for  him  a  synagogue  and  provided  quarters  for 
his  disciples.  Rabbi  Yehiel,  however,  soon  found  himself  without  means 
of  support,  as  the  city  was  not  quite  able  to  take  care  of  all  his  followers, 
and  he  was  compelled  to  send  his  friend,  Rabbi  Jacob,  of  Paris,  as  a  mes- 

4  Hashiloah,  Vol.  XXIV:  70. 

6  Seder  Hadoroth,  Lublin  Ed.  p.  52. 

6  Shebet  Yehudah,  Hanover,  p.  113. 

7  During  the  reign  of  Louis  IX. 


THE  VINEYAJtD 

“And  tlm'r  Plant  vineyards  and  drink  tlm  wine  thereof,  they  shall  also  make 

gardens  and  eat  the  fruit  of  them”.  (Amos  IX:14.) 

(See  Page  189) 


THE  JORDAN  RIVER 


(See  Page  168) 


;ess2!S& wssasm 


RECHOBOTH 


(See  Page  70) 


TOWN  HALL  “BETH  AM”, 


RECHOBOTH 


(See  Page  70) 


NEW  JERUSALEM 


141 


senger  (Meshullah)  to  solicit  contributions  in  Paris  and  in  Moslem  coun¬ 
tries8. 

Ten  years  later  Nachmanides  visited  Jerusalem  and  founded  a 
Jewish  settlement  and  a  Rabbinic  school  on  Mount  Zion.  The  entire 
community  was  dependent  upon  money  collected  from  Egypt,  Me¬ 
sopotamia,  Syria  and  especially  Damascus.  It  is 
now  that  we  first  hear,1  of  the  Ashkenazim.  In  his  let¬ 
ters  to*  his  son  he  complains  that  Ashkenazim  do  not  come  to  Jerusalem  as 
pilgrims,  but  visit  the  place  with  the  intention  to  remain,  not  as  their  Sephar¬ 
dic  brethren  who  come  hither  in  large  numbers  to  see  and  pray  at  the  Holy 
Shrines  and  if  they  decide  to  settle  in  Jerusalem  it  is  for  the  purpose  of 
being  entombed  in  the  holy  dust  of  Mount  Olivet.  The  number  of  Ashkena¬ 
zim  appears  to  have  grown  rapidly  after  the  death  of  Nachmanides,  as  soon 
after  Rabbi  Isaac  Halevi  found  it  necessary  to  establish  a  Yeshibah  for  the 
Jerusalem  youths.9 

The  quarters  occupied  by  Nachmanides  remain  to  this  day  the  Jewish 
quarters.  Rabbi  Yehudah  haHasid  of  Shidliz,  Poland,  who  (1701),  with 
many  followers  immigrated  to  the  Holy  Land,  built  a  syna¬ 
gogue  for  Ashkenazim,  near  the  place  occupied  by  the  Mid¬ 
rash  ha-Ramban.  The  place  is  known  now  as  “H  u  r  v  a  t  h 
Rabbi  Yi  e  h  u  d  a  h  h,  a  H  a  s  i  d.”  After  the  death  of  that 
pious  Rabbi  the  Ashkenazim  were  in  a  critical  condition  and  messengers 
were  despatched  to  Germany  and  other  countries  with  appeals  for  assist¬ 
ance.  They  were  poor  and  they  had  to  pawn  their  synagogue  in  order  to- 
meet  the  exactions  of  the  authorities. 

In  1701  the  Moslems  fell  upon  the  Ashkenazim,  burned  their  Syna¬ 
gogues  and  occupied  their  dwellings,  put  to  the  torch  the  Scrolls  and  Rab¬ 
binic  literature,  placed  the  elders  of  the  Ashkenazim  in  prison  and  took 
away  their  headquarters  as  a  ransom  because  they  couldn’t  pay  the  interest 
on  their  loans.  The  poor  Ashkenazim,  under  cover  of  night,  escaped  into 
the  mountains  of  upper  Galilee  and  settled  in  Safed.  For  a  period  of  one 
hundred  years  no  Ashkenazi  dared  enter  the  Holy  City.  The  opposition  to 
the  Ashkenazim  was  so  strongly  rooted  among  the  Arabs  that  at  the  begin¬ 
ning  of  the  nineteenth  century,  when  the  plague  broke  out  in  Safed,  Jews 
did  not  feel  safe  to  return  to  Jerusalem  and  a  number  of  Ashkenazim  who 
had  returned  had  disguised  themselves  as  Sephardim.  Twenty  of  them 
who  subsequently  organized  the  “Adath  Ashkenazim  Perushim  were  in. 


8  The  latter  appears  to  be  the  first  Meshullah  on  record. 

9  Asir  Hatikvah,  p.  26. 


142 


NEW  JUDEA 


dread  lest  the  taxes  left  unpaid  by  the  Ashkenazim  of  a  century  before  might 
be  demanded  of  them. 

In  1840,  when  Jerusalem  was  returned  to  the  Turks,  many  Ashkena¬ 
zim  came  from  Lithuania,  White  Russia  and  Galicia.  Great  distress  pre¬ 
vailed  among  them  and  meshullachim  (messengers)  were  sent  to  Russia 
to  organize  the  Halukah.  In  1826  an  earthquake  at  Safed,  where  the  Ashke¬ 
nazim  had  resided  for  over  a  century,  brought  mauy  more  to  Jerusalem. 
Not  until  the  middle  of  the  nineteenth  century,  however,  was  the  presence 
of  Ashkenazim  felt.  They  came  from  the  ranks  of  the  Hasidim  in  Poland 
and  southern  Russia;  using  a  similar  ritual  to  that  of  the  Sephardim.  They 
were  easily  assimilated  with  them  and  received  a  share  in  the  Halukah. 

The  Perushim  coming  from  Lithuania  and  South  Russia  were  then 
few  in  number.  They  were  not  recognized  by  the  Halukah  managers.  The 
credit  for  having  organized  a  special  Halukah  for  Ashkenazim  is  due  to 
Rabbis  Menachem  Mendel  and  Israel  of  Sklov,  who,  together  with  twenty 
other  Perushim,  disciples  of  Elijah  Wilna,  immigrated  to  Palestine  and 
settled  in  Safed.  They  sent  a  certain  Rabbi  Israel  to  Lithuania  to  solicit 
contributions. 

The  anti- Jewish  outbreaks  in  1882  brought  many  more  Jewish  fugi¬ 
tives  from  Russia  to  Jerusalem,  who  brought  along  more  modern  ideas  of 
life.  In  ten  years  the  number  of  Jews  had  grown  to>  25,000,  and  in  1910  it 
was  increased  to  50,000°. 

The  Ashkenazim  regarded  the  Halukah  as  a  legitimate  means  of  induc¬ 
ing  Jews  to  settle  in  Palestine  as  well  as  to  preserve  the  traditional  idealism 
of  Jewish  learning;  accordingly,  everyone  that  settles  in  Palestine,  be  he  a 
Haham  or  not,  is  entitled  to  that  benevolence.10 

The  figures  given  by  Barzilai  as  to  the  number  of  Ashkenazim  in  Jeru¬ 
salem  appear  to  be  most  reliable.* 11  He  estimates  the  number  of  Ashke¬ 
nazim  from  the  statistical  records  of  the  various  Kolelim,  who  distributed 
Halukah  to  27,170  persons  as  follows: 

Persons. 


Hungary  .  2,000 

Galicia  . 3,000 

Transylvania  .  100 

Holland  and  Germany  .  170 

Roumania  .  600 

America  . 1,000 


9  David  Trietsch,  “Palestine,”  Eng.  Ed.,  p.  29. 

10  The  letter  of  Nachmanides  would  show  that  this  was  the  way  the  Ashkenazim  inter¬ 
preted  the  meaning  of  Halukah.  See  Iggereth  Haramban,  Constantinople,  1519. 

11  Hashiloah,  24,  pp.  271. 


NEW  JERUSALEM 


143 


Reisin  .  7°° 

Carlin  .  6°° 

Zitomir  .  4°° 

Warsaw  . - . * .  2,000 

Hbd .  2,500 

Suwalki  .  1 ,200 

Wilna  and  Szamut  .  3>5°° 

Grodno  .  2,800 

Volhynia  .  3>°00 

Minsk  .  1,200 

Pinsk  . 1,200 

Bessarabia  .  200 

Vaad  Kol  ha  Kolelim .  1,000 

Recipients  of  Halukah —  - 

Ashkenazim  .  27,170 

Sephardim  .  I3>20° 

Do  not  need  Halukah  . 4,000 


Total  number  of  Jews  .  44,37° 


According  to  the  same  authority  only  3270  persons,  or  less  than  one- 
ninth  of  the  Ashkenazim,  receive  100  francs  ($20)  per  person  a 
year — an  amount  hardly  sufficient  to  subsist  on,  and  23,900  or  8/9,  receive 
only  a  fraction  thereof — from  one-half  to  one-tenth  of  the  actual  necessi¬ 
ties  ;  almost  all  have  to  look  to  other  sources  for  a  living. 

In  spite  of  a  frightful  poverty,  the  proportion  of  Jewish  beggars  in 
Jerusalem  is  very  small  in  comparison  to  the  natives,  of  whom  ten  per  cent, 
are  beggars.  One  sees  them  at  every  historic  place  following  the  tourist,  a 
condition  rare  among  the  Jews.  Indeed,  I  was  most  agreeably  disappointed 
and  can  say  that  I  was  no  more  annoyed  by  Jewish  mendicants  during  my 
stay  in  Jerusalem  than  I  was  in  large  cities  of  Europe. 

THE  EFFECT  OF  THE  HALUKAH  ON  MODERN 
JEWISH  LIFE  IN  PALESTINE 

It  is  a  mistaken  idea  that  modern  Zionism  alone  is  responsible  for 
the  influx  of  Jews  in  Palestine.  Long  before  the  Choverei  Zion  Move- 
ment,  the  love  for  Palestine  was  rooted  in  the  heart  of  the  Jew.  It  not 
only  manifested  itself  in  tears  and  prayers,  but  was  also  at  times  ex¬ 
pressed  in  practical  nationalism. 


144 


NEW  JUDEA 


Since  the  destruction  of  the  Second  Temple  70  C.  E.  the  love  of  the 
Jew  for  his  historic  land  was  notable.  The  greatest  aspiration  of  the  Jew 
in  the  diaspora  was  to  see  with  “his  own  eyes”  the  land  of  promise. 

The  old  lovers  of  Zion  were  of  the  opinion  that  in  order  to  build  Jew¬ 
ish  settlements  in  Palestine,  schools  must  precede  it,  a  fact  recognized  by 
modern  Zionists  with  some  variations  as  to  the  character  of  the  schools 
and  Jews  in  the  diaspora  were  urged  to  support  the  Talmudic  schools  of 
Jerusalem,  Tiberias,  Usha,  Sepphoris,  etc.  Some  of  these  academies  of 
Jewish  learning  date  back  to  the  earliest  Rabbinic  period.  12-13 

The  early  pioneers  who  clung  to  the  soil  facing  humiliation,  persecu¬ 
tion  and  death  rather  than  leave  their  beloved  land,  were  the  types  of  the 
modern  “Bilus.”  And,  as  the  agricultural  colonies  would  have  been  an 
impossibility  if  it  were  not  for  the  heroic  pioneers  of  the  Bilu  type,  so 
would  rehabilitation  of  the  land  be  impossible  if  not  for  the  earlier  religious 
settlers  in  the  cities,  who  laid  the  foundation  of  Jewish  urban  settlements 
in  Palestine. 

The  originators  of  the  Halukah,  therefore,  were  not  only  possessed 
of  religious  motives,  but  also  of  a  desire  to  promote  Jewish  settle- 
ments. 

When  Nachmanides  arrived  in  Jerusalem  (1267),  there  were  only  two 
Jews  residing  there.  The  funds  received  from  Jews  in  Egypt,  Mesopotamia, 
Syria  and  Asia  Minor,14  enabled  many  Jews  to  settle  in  Jerusalem.  His 
work  was  later  continued  by  Rabbi  Moses  Alshich,  1599,  Rabbi  Isaiah 
Halevi  Horwitz  and  others.  These  Rabbis  are  supposed  to  have  been 
the  originators  of  the  time  honored  boxes  bearing  the  name  “Rabbi  Meir 
Baal  Nes”  (the  Miracle  Worker). 

There  is  no  name  better  known  among  Jews  than  that  of  Meir  Baal 
Nes !  Near  Tiberias  is  located  the  burial  place  said  to  be  that  of  the 
“Miracle  Worker.”  Two  synagogues  are  erected  on  this  grave,  a  Sephar¬ 
dic  and  an  Ashkenazic,  where  prayers  are  offered  twice  daily  and  where 
Talmudic  schools  are  conducted.  Who  was  that  wonderman  that  the  poor¬ 
est  of  Jews  in  time  of  distress  will,  deposit  the  last  coin  in  the  charity  box 
bearing  his  name?  Who  was  that  miracle  worker  that  is  held  in  such  rev¬ 
erence?  (“If  one  is  in  danger,”  said  Baal  Shem  Tob,  “let  him  donate 

13  See  “Academies  in  Palestine,”  J.  E.,  Vol.  I,  p.  147. 

13  From  the  letter  sent  by  Joseph  Khagan,  King  of  the  Khazars,  to  ’Hasdai  Ibn  Shaprutr 
954  C.  E.r  it  appears  that  there  were  academies  of  Jewish  learning  in  Jerusalem  at  that 
period.  (The  Jews  in  Russia  and  Poland,  by  Dubnow,  Eng.  Ed.,  Vol.  I,  p.  27. 

14  Where  the  Halukah  came  from  until  the  fifteenth  century. 


NEW  JERUSALEM 


145 


eighteen  coins  for  the  purchase  of  candles  and  burn  them  for  the  soul  of 
Rabbi  Meir  Baal  Nes  and  repeat  three  times,  ‘The  God  of  Rabbi  Meir 
shall  help  me/  ”15 

History  is  silent,  on  that  question.  It  was  certainly  not  the  Tanaite 
Rabbi  Meir,  for  the  Talmud  does  not  associate  him  with  miracles.16 

A  traveler  in  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century,  who  did  not  de¬ 
sire  to  have  his  name  mentioned,  appears  to  throw  some  light  on  the  mys¬ 
tery.  There  was  a  pious  ascetic  in  Tiberias,  known  as  Rabbi  Meir,  who 
vowed  that  he  would  not  be  seated  until  Messiah  would  come.  When  he 
died  he  was  buried  standing  under  a  huge  pile  of  stones  near  Tiberias  over 
which  a  synagogue  was  erected.17 

The  Meshullach  (the  messenger),  who  was  sent  into  the  diaspora  to 
arouse  sentiment  for  the  Halukah,  made  it  also  a  point  to  persuade  Tews 
of  the  diaspora  to  emigrate  to  the  Holy  Land  and  to  enlighten  the  Jews 
of  the  diaspora  on  Jewish  tradition  and  the  Hebrew  language.  Rashi  tells  us 
that  a  “Shaliah”  from  Palestine  had  shown  him  the  true  intonation  of  some 
Biblical  accents,  and  Ibn  Ezra  (1168)  also  conferred  with  scholars  and 
Massorites  of  Mazarah  (the  later  name  of  Tiberias),  on  the  pronunciation 
of  Hebrew. 

One  of  the  Meshullachim  of  the  seventeenth  century,  known  as  Rabbi 
Moses  Hagiz,  in  defining  the  duties  of  the  Meshullach  and  the  purposes  of 
the  Halukah,  states  that  “the  Meshullach  is  sent  abroad  to  inform  the  Jews 
of  the  diaspora  of  the  condition  of  their  brethren  in  the  Holy  Land  and  to 
solicit  good  will  and  support  for  the  standard  bearers  of  the  Tabernacle  of 
God,  who  keep  alive  Jewish  hopes  and  aspirations  in  the  land  of  Israel.”13 
“That  Christians,”  he  continued,  “contribute  thousands  of  pounds  yearly  for 
the  maintenance  of  their  inhabitants,  is  a  challenge  to  the  Jew  who  fails 
to  provide  for  the  beloved  sons  of  Zion.”' 

But,  while  the  Halukah  had  its  merits  and  has  served  a  good  purpose 
for  many  centuries,  it  has  of  late  been  subjected  to  the  lash  of  the  critic 
and  to  reproaches  in  many  respects  not  undeserved.  The  system  of  organi¬ 
zation  of  the  Halukah  is  a  medieval  one  and  the  splitting  up  that  time- 
honored  charity  into  Kolelim  must  lead  to  discrimination  and  injustice. 
Through  the  building  up  of  a  system  of  Meshullachim  on  a  commission 
basis  and  allowing  a  percentage  to  local  Gabaim  who  take  charge  of  the  col- 

15  Kether  Torah,  Vol.  2,  pp.  22,  27. 

10  Ozar  Yisrael,  Vol.  VI,  >p.  74. 

17  M’bassereth  Zion,  p.  52. 

13  Sephath  Emeth  by  Moses  ben  Jacob  Hagiz,  Amsterdam,  1697.  (Jewish  Encyclopedia, 
Vol.  VI,  151.) 


146 


NEW  JUDEA 


lection  as  well  as  to  the  Menahalim  in  Jerusalem  for  distribution,  the  Halu- 
kah  is  fraught  with  injustice  both  to  recipients  and  to  donors,  because  75 
per  cent,  of  the  money  collected  goes  to  waste  and  only  25  per  cent,  reaches 
the  needy.  It  gives  to  the  Menahalim,  who  control  the  distribution,  undue 
power  to  interfere  with  modern  schools,  for  they  often  hold  the  Halukah 
as  a  whip  over  the  heads  of  parents  not  to  send  children  to  such  schools, 
and  offer  no  encouragement  to  the  youths  to  learn  a  trade  or  to  take  up 
industrial  or  agricultural  pursuits.  Such  a  system  is  a  precarious  one,  it 
tends  to  shake  the  confidence  of  the  contributors,  and  it  does  great  harm 
to  many  well-deserving  Jews. 

About  $500,000  is  contributed  to  the  Halukah  every  year.  Such  a 
large  sum  could  be  a  great  help  to  the  present  “Yishub,”  if  it  were  well 
applied  and  properly  managed.  Modern  methods  must,  therefore,  be 
adopted,  a  program  of  constructive  work  should  be  mapped  out,  a  bet¬ 
ter  auditing  system  should  be  introduced,  as  well  as  a  more  economical 
method  of  collection.  “The  problem  of  the  Halukah  should  not  be  solved 
by  abolishing  it,  but  rather  by  strengthening  it  through  wise  management.” 

The  efforts  of  the  “Vaad  Kol  Hakolelim,”19  to  regulate  the  Halukah 

as  well  as  the  activities  of  “L’maan  Zion”  (a  Frankfurt  organization), 
for  the  same  purposes,  were  not  able  to  stem  the  evil.  Indeed,  there  is  a 
revolution  going  on  among  the  younger  generation  who  become  sensitive 
if  the  Halukah  and  grow  tired  eating  the  “bread  of  affliction,”  as  they 
style  it.  The  writer  was  present  at  a  gathering  of  “Hahamim,”20  and  from 
expressions  made  by  them,  it  was  evident  that  they  disliked  their  depend¬ 
ence  on  the  Halukah.  Speakers  urged  upon  their  comrades  to  leave  the 
Yeshibah  and  look  to  the  soil  for  support. 

In  a  pamphlet  “Koheleth  Jacob”  a  detailed  plan  is  mapped  out  for  an 
agricultural  colony  in  the  vicinity  of  Jerusalem. 

The  writer  in  a  subsequent  visit  to  Constantinople  sought  to  interest 
the  late  David  Wolfson  in  the  scheme  of  the  Koheleth  Jacob  organiza¬ 
tion.  The  Zionist  leader  consented  to  take  the  matter  up  with  the  National 
Fund  managers. 

Even  some  of  the  Menahalim  of  the  Halukah  have  realized  that  some¬ 
thing  tangible  ought  to  be  done,  and  have  established  a  Manual  Training 
School  (1908),  in  Jaffa  for  young  men  of  religious  homes,  to  teach  them 
a  trade.  About  fifty  pupils  are  taught  to  make  locks,  hinges,  bolts,  screws 
and  trimmings  for  wheels. 


18  A  central  committee  of  the  various  Kolelim  in  Jerusalem,  organized  in  1866. 
20  The  wise,  a  term  applied  to  Talmudic  scholars  in  Jerusalem. 


NEW  JERUSALEM 


147 


MECHANICAL  LABOR 

As  in  agriculture,  the  credit  of  being  first  to  interest  the  Palestinian 
Jewish  youth  in  manual  training  is  due  to  the  Alliance  Israelite  Univer- 
selle  who  established  in  1882  a  school  in  Jerusalem  for  boys  and 
afterwards  for  girls  to  teach  them  a  trade,  thereby  removing  from  the 
Halukah  atmosphere  many  of  the  young  generation. 

The  school  is  well  equipped  to  instruct  the  Jerusalem  youths  in  many 
branches  of  manual  labor.  It  gives  courses  in  carpentering,  woodcarving, 
machine  construction,  smithing,  casting,  weaving  and  dyeing.  In  the  girls’ 
school  home  industries,  such  as  embroidering,  dressmaking  and  hairnet  in¬ 
dustry,  are  taught.  The  school  accommodates  250  boys  and  about  sixty 
girl  pupils.21 

BEZALEL  SCHOOL 

Of  quite  a  different  calibre  is  the  school  that  was  founded  by  a  special 
committee  in  Berlin,  through  the  efforts  of  Professor  Boris  Schatz,  in  Jan¬ 
uary,  1906,  and  was  taken  over  by  the  Bezalel  Society  the  following  Oc¬ 
tober.  None  of  the  Jewish  institutions  can  point  to  such  a  rapid  develop¬ 
ment  as  can  that  school.  In  the  first  year  a  carpeting  atelier  with  a 
workroom  for  spinning  and  dyeing  was  already  in  operation. 

In  the  following  year  departments  for  woodcarving,  filagree  work, 
stonecutting,  Damascus  metal  work,  basket  making  and  lithography  were 
introduced ;  later,  metal  chasing,  batik  work  and  ivory  carving  were  added. 

Soon  two  museums,  one  containing  archeological  and  Jewish  Art  col¬ 
lections  and  the  other  a  collection  of  natural  history,  such  as  the  Flora 
and  Fauna  of  Palestine,  were  opened  in  the  school.  In  these  museums  the 
Bezalel  pupils  are  instructed  to  employ  as  motifs  various  Palestinian  ani¬ 
mals,  birds  and  insects  as  well  as  antiquities  preserved  in  the 
museum.  In  a  special  course  the  students  are  taught  to  combine  Hebrew 
letters  into  pretty  ornamentations  and  to  give  to  them  modern  forms.  Such 
fancy  lettering  is  handed  over  to  the  carpet  weaving  department  and  the 
borders  or  centre  pieces  are  modeled  after  the  Hebrew  Alphabet. 

Since  February,  1908,  the  Society  has  occupied  a  magnificent  struc¬ 
ture,  in  the  best  quarters  of  New  Jerusalem,  purchased  by  the  Jewish  Na¬ 
tional  Fund.  Two  years  later  an  adjoining  house  was  secured  and  a  new 

21  The  Society  “Ezrath  Nidachim,”  founded  by  the  late  H.  Frumkin,  Nissim  Behar  and 
Ben  Yehudah  in  1884  with  the  purpose  of  teaching  the  Jerusalem  youth  a  trade,  had  only 
temporary  value;  owing  to  the  lack  of  funds  it  couldn’t  make  much  headway  (Goldman 
Haasif,  1884). 


148 


NEW  JUDEA 


carpet  atelier  was  constructed  where  weaving,  dyeing  and  spinning  are  also 
taught.22 

The  Bezalel  has  founded  the  first  Workman  Colony  for  Yemenite 
Jews  in  Ben  Shemen,  near  Lydda,  upon  an  estate  of  the  Jewish  Na¬ 
tional  Fund,  where  twelve  families  are  earning  a  livelihood  by  means 
of  truck  farming,  filagree  work  and  carpet  weaving.  Thus,  a  foundation 
was  laid  for  the  introduction  of  artistic  industries  to  rural  districts. 

The  number  of  men,  women  and  children  who  are  employed  in  Bezalel 
are  about  450.  It  represents  the  greatest  industrial  undertaking  in  Pales¬ 
tine.  The  articles  manufactured  there  appeal  to  the  refined  taste  of  Eu¬ 
rope  and  America.  Their  sale  is  comparatively  an  easy  matter.  The  car¬ 
pets,  especially,  are  made  in  very  beautiful  designs  of  luxurious  and  har¬ 
monious  coloring.  The  features  of  the  designs  are  objects  such  as  the 
Menorah,  or  the  Ner  Tamid  (Perpetual  Light)  executed  in  various  shapes. 
The  Bezalel  exhibitions  held  within  the  last  few  years  in  the  largest  cities 
of  Europe  and  America  have  proven  that  the  articles  are  appreciated  by 
people  of  refined  taste.  Large  business  houses  and  department  stores 
have  also  shown  an  interest  in  the  Bezalel  and  placed  orders  for  Bezalel 
work. 

In  1912  the  sale  of  products  realized  250,000  francs  ($50,000),  while 
130,000  francs  ($26,000)  were  paid  out  in  wages.  What 
most  impresses  the  visitor  is  the  Jewish  atmosphere  surrounding  that 
school.  Not  only  is  the  Hebrew  language  the  medium  of  instruction,  but 
the  Hebrew  spirit  prevails  all  over  Bezalel.  The  desire  on  the  part  of  the 
teachers  and  students  to  have  a  typically  Jewish  school  for  arts  and  crafts 
has  brought  with  it  the  love  for  the  land  and  enthusiasm  for  everything 
Jewish.  The  art  student  draws  his  inspiration  here,  where  every  sight 
recalls  memories  of  the  past,  and  where  the  ear  rings  with  the  fascinat¬ 
ing  sounds  of  the  Hebrew  language  and  the  tunes  of  national  Hebrew 
songs,  from  distinctly  Jewish  sources.  Here  the  Jewish  pupil  will  soon 
develop  an  artistic  temperament  and  an  imagination  peculiar  to  himself. 

The  Jewish  ornaments  that  characterize  the  products  of  the  Bezalel, 
give  the  new  Jewish  art  a  specific  Jewish  coloring.  Credit 


22  Mac.  Nov.,  1906. 


NEW  JERUSALEM 


149 


for  this  accomplishment  must  also  be  given  to  the  famous  artist,  E.  M. 
Lilian,  who  assisted  Schatz  in  this  work23. 

The  enthusiasm  of  the  pupils  and  workers  is  not  only  marked  in  the 
workrooms,  but  also  in  their  homes.  While  visiting  the  Bezalel  the  writer 
was  invited  to  a  Brith  Milah  celebration  at  the  residence  of  one  of  the  fore¬ 
men  of  the  Bezalel.  The  entire  department  closed  for  two 
hours  in  honor  of  the  new-born  Judean.  With  Prof.  Shatz  leading 
the  employees  made  their  way  to  the  home  of  the  new-born,  where 
we  found  the  room  beautifully  decorated  with  flowers  and  solemnized  with 
many  wax  tapers.  The  “Kisei  she!  Eliyahu”  was  covered  with  a  canopy  of 
white  and  blue,  and  two  silver  “Ez  hayims,”  made  in  the  school  (similar  to 
those  that  adorn  the  scroll  of  the  law),  were  placed  on  each  side  of  the 
chair.  Professor  Schatz  was  the  Sandik.  After  the  ceremony  was  over 
the  entire  gathering  formed  themselves  into  a  circle  and  started  to  dance 
the  “Karahod”  (an  old  Chasidic  dance).  An  immense  circle  of  clapping 
hands  were  swinging  in  wild  rythym  to  the  tune  of  the  song,  which  all 
the  dancers  sang  in  chorus.  “Who  will  build  Galilee?”  the  leader  asked 
“God  will  build  Galilee,”  the  chorus  replied.  Again,  “Who  will  build  Gali¬ 
lee?”  “We  shall  build  Galilee,”  the  chorus  continued;  “Jerusalem  is  in  Pal¬ 
estine.  B’zalel  is  in  Jerusalem”...  And  they  danced  and  sang  with  all  their 
might,  clasping  hands,  and  closing  with  “There  shall  yet  come  the  redeemer.” 

These  happy  Palestinians  surrounded  us  and  quickly  dragged  us  in 
their  circle,  and  we  soon  caught  the  spirit,  and  joined  in  the  chorus,  “There 
shall  yet  come  the  redeemer.” 

Among  the  other  industrial  efforts  should  be  mentioned  the  “Verband 
der  Juedischen  Frauen  fur  Culturelle  Arbeit  in  Palestina.”  Through  this 
organization  hundreds  of  girls  have  been  enabled  to  earn  a  livelihood  by  nee¬ 
dlework,  such  as  dressmaking,  embroidering,  etc.24  The  excellent  work  of 
Mrs.  Finn,  a  Christian  woman,  is  worthy  of  note;  many  Yemenite 
Jews  find  employment  in  her  workshop,  situated  in  a  suburb  of  Jeru¬ 
salem  (Abraham’s  Vineyard),  by  making  soap  and  other  useful  articles. 
Jews,  however,  avail  themselves  of  her  philanthropy  rather  unwillingly, 
as  they  suspect  her  of  missionary  motives.  Mrs.  Finn  has  the  distinc¬ 
tion  of  being  the  first  in  modern  times  to  initiate  Jerusalem  Jews 
into  agricultural  occupations  on  her  plot  of  ground  at  Abraham’s  Vineyard. 

J3  The  Zionist  organization,  as  well  as  other  Jewish  societies,  are  endeavoring  to  create  a 
market  for  the  Bezalel  products  so  that  its  graduates  shall  have  no  cause  to  emigrate  from 
Palestine.  So  far  very  few  of  its  graduates  have  departed  for  other  lands,  In  direct  contrast 
with  the  experiences  of  the  schools  of  the  Alliance  Israelite  Universelle. 

2*  Thanks  to  the  interest  shown  by  David  Trietsch,  who  has  pointed  out  that  in  some 
states,  such  as  the  T'eneriffe  Islands,  about  fifteen  thousand  girls  occupied  in  this  industry 
earn  as  much  as  10,000,000  francs  ($2,000,000)  a  year. 


150 


NEW  JUDEA 


The  Halukah  also  maintains  a  trade  school  of  three  classes  for 
teaching  tailoring,  shoemaking  and  Sefer  Torah  writing. 

Last  but  not  least  is  the  shop  founded  in  1913  by  Nathan  Straus  in 
connection  with  the  relief  station,  where  unskilled  workmen  are  being  taught 
to  make  mother-of-pearl  beads  and  pearl  buttons,  a  very  profitable  industry 
which  was  hetherto  carried  on  by  the  people  of  Bethlehem. 

According  to  a  report  of  the  French  Consulate  in  1907,  there  were  in 
Jerusalem  six  thousand  Jewish  workmen  of  all  sorts.  The  highest  wage- 
earners  are  the  weavers,  founders  and  masons,  with  $1.50  per  day.  The 
lowest  wages  are  those  of  glaziers  and  Sefer  Torah  writers.  Previous  to 
1909  about  thirty-four  mechanics  became  self-supporting  through  the 
efforts  of  the  Alliance  Israelite  Universelle.  Among  small  industries 
may  be  mentioned  the  olive  wood  industry,  wherein  men  earn  a  living 
by  making  olive  wood  albums,  ink  wells,  penholders,  candlesticks,  paper 
cutters,  etc. 


EDUCATIONAL  INSTITUTIONS 

Jewish  education  in  Palestine  until  a  generation  ago  was  confined  to  the 
Talmud  and  Rabbinic  literature;  even  the  most  elementary  subjects  such 
as  arithmetic,  Hebrew  grammar  and  language  were  excluded  from  the  Tal¬ 
mud  Torahs.  The  school  system  has  within  recent  years  undergone  many 
changes.  Modern  ideas  have  penetrated  even  the  massive  walls  of  the  Holy 
City,  and  as  a  result  many  reforms  were  introduced  into  the  curriculum  of 
the  Heder,  so  that  at  present  subjects  such  as  hygiene,  anatomy,  physiology, 
stenography  and  bookkeeping  are  taught  in  some  of  the  schools  of  Jeru¬ 
salem. 

The  first  school  established  on  modern  lines  was  the  Laemel  School, 
founded  in  the  year  1856.  It  is  situated  upon  high  ground  in  a  new  build¬ 
ing  overlooking  Meali  Shearim.  As  might  be  supposed,  the  introduction 
of  such  a  school  met  with  violent  opposition  from  the  Ashkenazim,  who 
feared  that  a  modern  school  would  be  inimical  to  Orthodox  observances. 
The  opposition  was  so  bitter  that  Ludwig  August  Frankl,  the  Austrian  Jew¬ 
ish  poet  and  literateur,  who  came  from  Vienna  to  organize  the  Frau  Elise 
Von  Herz  Laemel  School,  was  excommunicated  by  the  Ashkenazic  Rabbis. 
Placards  to  that  effect  were  put  on  houses,  lamentations  recited  and  prayers 
offered  at  the  Wailing  Wall25.  But  Providence  appeared  to  have  been  on 


28  Frankl  Nach  Jerusalem  2;  11  Leipzic,  1858. 


NEW  JERUSALEM 


151 


the  side  of  modernism  and  the  school  was  opened, — with  the  support  of  the 
Austrian  Consul  and  the  Turkish  statesman  Kiamil  Pasha,  Governor  of 
Jerusalem, — with  many  Sephardic  pupils  who  didn’t  feel  themselves  af¬ 
fected  by  the  Herem  (excommunication)  and  did  not  fear  the  antagonism 
of  their  Ashkenazic  coreligionists. 26 

As  a  protest  to  the  Laemel  School,  the  Blumenthal  School  was 
founded  (1866),  “Beth  Hamidrash  Doresh  Zion.”  It  was  intended  to  be 
a  compromise  between  the  progressive  Laemel  School  and  the  old  Heder, 
but  even  such  a  reconciliation  met  with  opposition  and  the  ban  of  excom¬ 
munication  was  pronounced  by  the  Ashkenazic  Rabbis  also  against  this, 
school.  Again  the  Sephardim  took  advantage  of  the  situation,  and  it 
became  a  school  for  Sephardic  children  only.  (It  has  lately  passed  under 
the  direction  of  the  Kolel  Hod.) 

In  1864  the  Evelyn  de  Rothschild  School  for  Girls  was  opened, 
where  six  hundred  and  fifty  daughters  of  Jerusalem  are  receiving  an  excel¬ 
lent  Jewish  and  secular  education  and  instruction  in  home  industries^ 
such  as  dressmaking,  embroidery  and  domestic  work.  It  is  training  mothers 
for  the  future  Jewish  land  and  endeavors  to  inculcate  the  virtues  of  clean¬ 
liness  and  neatness  among  the  girls.  This  school  since  1898  has  been  under 
the  direction  of  the  Anglo- Jewish  Association. 

In  1902  the  “Hilfsverein”  entered  the  educational  field  of  Palestine.  It 
began  its  work  by  granting  a  subsidy  to  an  old  Talmud  Torah  of  the  Gru- 
sinian  Kolel  and  in  return  it  received  the  permission  of  the  Gabaim  of  that 
school  to  introduce  arithmetic  and  Arabic  in  the  school  programme. 

The  most  effective  work  of  the  German  society  began  with  the  estab¬ 
lishment  of  a  system  of  kindergartens,28  followed  by  a  school  for  Gan 
Yeladim  teachers,  a  seminary  for  teachers  of  higher  schools  and  a  Rabbini¬ 
cal  school  for  the  training  of  Sephardic  Rabbis.  The  Teachers’  Seminary 
proved  very  advantageous  to  the  new  Jewish  life  in  Palestine,  because 
it  was  from  that  school  that  teachers  were  supplied  for  the  ele¬ 
mentary  schools  of  the  agricultural  colonies  and  Palestinian  towns.  A 
course  in  agriculture  is  provided  for  students  who  graduated  as  teachers. 

20  This  school,  which  since  1911  has  been  under  the  management  of  the  Hilfsverein, 
offers  a  course  of  secondary  education,  where  students  are  trained  as  teachers  for  Hebrew 
schools. 

27  Gan  Yeladim. 

27  The  .Jerusalem  Gan  Yeladim  was  founded  by  the  Bnai  Brith  Lodge  of  Jerusalem,  but 
is  i  maintained  by  the  Hilfsverein.  “Lemaan  Zion,”  of  Frankfurt,  and  Hovevei  Zion,  of 
Odessa,  conjointly.  To  see  the  little  children  prattling  in  Biblical  Hebrew  while  playing  was 
a  far  more  touching  sight  than  to  hear  the  Litany  recitation  of  the  older  folks  at  the  West¬ 
ern  Wall.  In  some  of  these  kindergartens  Arab  boys  are  attending,  and  thev  too  express1 
;kemselves  in  a  pure  and  fluent  Hebrew.  The  Froebel  method  is  used  in  these  schools. 


152 


NEW  JUDEA 


The  knowledge  of  agriculture,  thus  imparted  to  the  teachers,  was  very 
beneficial  to  the  future  colonists  of  Palestine.  In  connection  with  the 
seminary,  a  business  college  was  opened  for  those  who  intend  to  enter 
business.  There  are  also  evening  schools  for  busy  adults  in  connection 
with  the  Hilfsverein  schools.  The  entire  system  of  education  furnishes 
instruction  to  three  thousand  pupils  and  employs  one  hundred  and  fifty 
teachers. 

The  “Bezalel”  maintains  also  an  elementary  school  for  its  pupils  and 
employees. 

With  the  founding  of  the  gymnasium  in  Jerusalem  (1909),  a  fine  sys¬ 
tem  of  education  from  kindergarten  to  gymnasium  is  completed. 
The  founding  of  a  university  in  Jerusalem  was  seriously  taken  up 
by  the  Jewish  press  and  by  prominent  scholars  of  Europe  and  America. 
Large  contributions  have  even  been  promised  by  Jewish  philanthropists 
toward  this  worthy  undertaking,  and  it  is  hoped  that  soon  a  Jewish  univer¬ 
sity  will  be  erected  in  the  ancient  capital  of  Judea. 

The  multiplication  of  modern  schools,  however,  was  not  without  its 
disadvantages.  Each  school  has  more  aggravated  the  longstanding  confu¬ 
sion  of  languages  in  the  Holy  City.  With  each  new  organization  that  has 
undertaken  educational  work,  a  new  language  was  imposed  upon  the  tender 
youth  of  Jerusalem.  The  child’s  brain  was  taxed  to  the  utmost  in  his  effort 
-  to  learn  the  medium  of  education  in  each  school,  so  that  he  was  hardly 
capable  to  apply  himself  to  the  various  subjects  of  instruction.  Change  of 
schools  meant  the  studying  of  a  new  language  in  order  to  understand  teacher 
and  fellow-pupils.  The  Alliance  insisting  upon  the  French  language  as  a 
medium  of  instruction,  the  Anglo-Jewish  Association,  with  its  loyalty  to 
the  English  language,  and  the  Hilfsverein  with  the  preference  for  the  ver¬ 
nacular  of  the  Fatherland,  made  Jerusalem  a  Babel  of  tongues. 

A  common  language  for  all  schools  became  imperative,  not  only  for 
instruction  in  the  school,  but  also  for  common  use,  so  that  one  Jewish  child 
shall  understand  the  other.  The  Yiddish-speaking  boy  shall  be  able  to* 
communicate  with  the  Spagnol,  the  Ad j ami  boy  with  his  Persian  dialect, 
the  Grusinian  lad,  with  his  Russian  vernacular,  and  the  Yemenite  Ma¬ 
ghrebi  and  Aleppo  pupils,  with  their  various  Arabic  dialects,  shall  under¬ 
stand  each  other.  There  was  no  language  upon  which  all  could  agree,  with¬ 
out  jealousy  or  loss  of  pride,  except  Hebrew. 

The  Hebrew  dialect  was  first  introduced  in  the  agricultural  colonies. 
With  the  colonists  it  was  a  simple  proposition.  They  were  attracted  there 
by  the  ideal  of  rejuvenation  of  the  Jewish  people  on  their  historic  soil.  The 
Hebrew  language  was  an  essential  part  of  their  programme.  Furthermore, 


NEW  JERUSALEM 


153- 

the  teachers  who  were  drawn  hither  mainly  from  Lithuania  had  long  devel¬ 
oped  a  love  for  that  language.  For  a  half-century  Hebrew  was  the  literary 
dialect  among  the  learned  Jews  of  Russia. 

The  writings  of  Luzatto,  Levinson,  Krochmal,  Erter,  Rapoport,  Let- 
teris,  Mapu,  M.  A.  Ginsburg,  Smolenskin,  Lilienblum  and  David  Gordon, 
the  poetical  works  of  Wessly,  the  Lebensohns,  Yehudah  Loeb  Gordon, 
Manne  and  a  host  of  others  were  fresh  in  the  memories  of  the  would-be 
teachers  of  Palestine. 

They  came  here  with  no  other  motive  but  to  offer  the  best  that  was 
in  them  for  their  beloved  land.  These  lovers  of  the  Hebrew  tongue  would 
not  think  of  any  other  language.  The  Hovevei  Zion  represented  by  the 
Odessa  Committee  also  exerted  pressure  upon  the  colonists  to  adopt  Hebrew 
as  a  medium  in  the  schools.  The  example  of  the  village  school  was  soon 
followed  by  the  schools  in  Jaffa  and  the  schools  in  other  cities  that  were  sub¬ 
sidized  by  the  Odessa  Committee.  The  schools  of  the  Hilfsverein  came  in 
next,  then  followed  the  Anglo- Jewish  Association,  and  last  the  elementary 
schools  of  the  Alliance  Israelite  Universelle. 

But  while  external  factors  have  contributed  to  the  renaissance  of  the 
Hebrew  language,  credit  should  also  be  given  to  local  agencies  in  Palestine 
and  particularly  in  Jerusalem,  at  the  head  of  which  was  Eliezer  Ben 
Yehuda. 

ELIEZER  BEN  YEHUDA 

In  1 88 1  there  came  to  Jerusalem  from  Paris  a  young  medical  student 
of  small  stature  and  poor  physique.  His  physician  ordered  him  to  go  to- 
the  warmer  climate  of  Algiers,  but  the  national  idea,  which  absorbed  all  his 
thought,  shortened  his  stay  in  that  country27. 

Pie  came  to  Jerusalem  to  recover  his  health,  but  he  recovered  with 
his  health  a  language  that  was  dead  for  two  thousand  years  as  a  medium 
of  speech.  He  announced  to  the  people  of  the  city  that  there  could  be  no 
real  Jewish  communal  life  without  a  common  language,  understood  and 
spoken  by  all  Jews.  He  preached  that  sentiment,  but  wasn’t  listened  to  by~ 
his  coreligionists  of  the  Holy  City.  Nay!  he  was  even  mocked  at  and  nick¬ 
named  by  the  Halukah  leaders  as  the  “Leader  of  the  Philistines,”  and  his; 
propaganda  had  a  negative  effect  on  the  recipients  of  the  Halukah. 

Had  Ben  Yehuda  favored  the  methods  of  the  “Menahalim,”  his  influ¬ 
ence  upon  the  Jewry  of  Jerusalem  might  have  been  better,  but  he  dared 

27  In  a  letter  dated  Algiers,  December  21,  18S0,  to  the  editor  of  the  Hashahar,  he  takes 
issue  with  the  editor,  Perez  Smolenskin,  who  held  that  Jews,  can  foster  their  national  spirit 
and  the  Hebrew  language  in  other  lands  than  Palestine.  “Only  in  the  country  thoroughly- 
inhabited  by  Jews  is  possible  the  revival  of  Hebrew  as  a  living  tongue,”  he  writes. 


154 


NEW  JUDEA 


combat  their  system  of  distribution  of  the  universal  Jewish  charity,  “which 
gave  support  to  the  idle  poor  in  preference  to  the  industrious  colonists.” 
He  found,  however,  one  friend,  in  the  person  of  Yehiel  Michel  Pinnes,  the 
scholar,  the  idealist  and  the  public-spirited  man,  who  supported  Ben 
Yehuda’s  doctrine. 

To  the  woman  he  was  to  marry  he  proposed  one  condition,  namely, 
that  his  home  language  must  be  Hebrew  and  that  their  children  must  speak 
that  language  from  the  cradle.  His  wife,  Deborah,  who  was  no  less 
zealous  for  the  language  than  himself,  readily  agreed  to  that  condition.  He 
gradually  won  over  to  his  ideas  many  converts.  While  some  laughed  at 
him  for  not  speaking  Yiddish  and  for  answering  in  Hebrew  all  who 
addiessed  him,  yet  unconsciously  the  Hebrew  language  was  becoming 
the  medium  of  conversation,  and  at  joint  meetings  of  the  various  ele¬ 
ments  the  Hebrew  dialect  soon  predominated.  In  public  announcements 
it  was  used  exclusively,  and  at  communal  affairs  that  language  was  the 
only  one  in  vogue.  Soon  it  was  realized  even  by  opponents  that  the  new 
dialect  facilitated  inter-communication  in  polyglot  Jerusalem. 

The  example  set  was  quickly  followed  in  the  colonies,  where  certain 
forces  had  been  working  for  some  time  in  the  same  direction,  and  they  were 
the  first  to  adopt  it  in  their  schools.  The  city  of  Jaffa  was  next  to  intro¬ 
duce  it. 

Indeed,  it  was  an  experiment  worth  while  trying,  for  in  a  short  time 
Jewish  Palestine  became  also  Hebraic.  Hebrew  was  spoken  not  only  among 
Jews,  but  many  Arabs  also  found  it  to  their  advantage  to  learn  it.  It  dem¬ 
onstrated  the  adaptability  of  the  Jewish  youth  to  his  historic  language  and 
the  flexibility  of  the  historic  language  to  suit  the  requirements  of  the  mod¬ 
ern  youth. 

It  was  a  comic  tragedy  for  us  tourists  to  hear  Ephraim,  our  dragoman, 
addressing  us  in  our  ancient  language,  while  we,  the  descendants  of  the 
Nebiim,  could  respond  only  with  great  difficulty. 

Ben  Yehuda  may  be  regarded  as  the  originator  of  Neo  Hebrew.  As 
head  of  the  “Vaad  Halashon”  (Hebrew  Academy),  he  watched  with 
philologic  precision  the  growth  of  the  new  language,  and  with  deep  interest 
he  supervised  the  coining  of  a  new  vocabulary.  Most  of  the  new  words 
were  derived  from  Talmudic  literature  and  from  the  Arabic  language.  This 
is  truly  a  remarkable  achievement  when  one  considers  that  within  a  brief 
period  of  thirty  years  a  language  that  was  classed  in  one  category  with 
Latin  or  ancient  Greek  has  so  completely  revived  as  to  enable  one  to  deliver 
in  it  addresses  on  scientific  and  technical  subjects. 


NEW  JERUSALEM 


155 


THE  TEACHERS’  UNION 

The  Teachers’  Union  (Vaad  Hamorim)  was  founded  in  1903  at  a  con¬ 
ference  held  at  the  colony  Zichron  Jacob. 

There  teachers  of  Jewish  schools  of  Palestine  organized  the  National 
Board  of  Education,  whose  object  it  is  to  maintain  a  general  supervision 
over  the  Jewish  schools  in  Palestine.  This  board  publishes  from  time  to 
time  textbooks,  arranges  courses  for  the  information  of  teachers,  and  pub¬ 
lishes  the  monthly  journal  “Hahinuch,”  for  school  teachers. 

The  task  that  the  V aad  ha-Mordn  had  before  it,  can  best  be  understood 
when  one  considers  that  the  entire  educational  system  in  Hebrew  was  a 
new  one  and  that  text-books  for  schools,  from  the  kindergarten  up  to  the 
Herzl  Gymnasium,  had  to  be  created.  (Note  9). 

BETH  ’AM 

The  new  educational  system  embraces  also  the  intellectual  development 
of  the  adults,  men  and  women.  The  Beth  ’Am  is  a  spiritual  centre  for  the 
young  and  old  in  New  Jerusalem.  There  lectures  are  delivered  on  popular 
and  academic  subjects.  There  a  free  reading  room  is  provided  for  visi¬ 
tors,  a  place  for  innocent  games  for  young  folks,  quarters  for  social  gath¬ 
erings  and  an  auditorium  for  dramatic  circles. 

HABIMAH  (A  HEBREW  DRAMATIC  CIRCLE) 

The  performances  given  in  the  Beth  ’Am  from  time  to  time  by  a  group 
of  amateur  actors  have  proven  not  only  an  educational  factor,  but  also 
stimulated  respect  and  love  for  Jewish  customs  and  the  Hebrew  language. 
It  has  also  worked  as  a  cheering  influence  in  the  hitherto  monotonus  Jeru¬ 
salem.  The  writer  was  present  at  one  of  these  performances,  and  was  sur¬ 
prised  to  meet  on  the  stage  so  many  capable  and  talented  actors  among  the 
sons  and  daughters  of  Jerusalem. 

THE  CENTRAL  NATIONAL  JEWISH  LIBRARY  OF  JERUSALEM 

One  of  the  most  notable  institutions  in  Palestine  is  the  National  Jew¬ 
ish  Library,  known  as  the  Midrash  Abarbanel,  or  “Ginzei  Joseph.”  It  is 
distinguished  not  because  of  its  large  number  of  volumes,  its  many  rare 
manuscripts  or  its  imposing  buildings.  Other  lands  in  the  diaspora  have 
larger  Jewish  treasure  houses.  The  library  connected  with  the  Jewish 
Theological  Seminary  of  New  York  is  richer  in  quality  if  not  in  quantity 
in  Jewish  literary  treasures.  Even  Jerusalem  itself  has  not  stored  away  its 


156 


NEW  JUDEA 


rare  volumes  and  manuscripts  in  the  Midrash  Abarbanel.  One  may  find 
them  distributed  in  the  Yieshiboth,  in  the  old  Sephardic  synagogues  or  in 
private  collections.  But  the  interest  of  the  Abarbenel  Library  is  centred 
in  its  being  a  national  Jewish  institution  and  because,  like  everything  national 
in  Palestine,  it  is  bound  up  with  much  sacrifice  and  self-denial  on  the  part 
of  its  founders.  The  idea  of  a  large  Jewish  national  library  was  the  dream 
of  Jewish  scholars  for  ages.  The  book  of  the  people  had  the  same  fate 
as  the  “people  of  the  book”  to  be  scattered  for  thousands  of  years  in  the 
four  corners  of  the  earth.  A  gathering  of  the  works  that  represented 
Israel’s  spiritual  activities  of  nearly  four  thousand  years  in  the  land  where 
the  prophets  began  to  develop  its  literature  became  as  important  an  ideal  to 
the  scholar  as  the  returning  of  dispersed  Israel  to  the  land  of  his  ancestors 
to  the  lover  of  Zion.  The  Jewish  scholar  had  to  make  himself  a  voluntary 
exile  among  libraries  of  the  world,  be  it  Rabbinical,  municipal  or  private 
collections,  in  order  to  uphold  Jewish  scholarship,  much  the  same  as  the 
pious  Jew  of  the  Middle  Ages  took  upon  himself  exilic  penalty  in  order  to 
keep  up  his  piety. 

The  founding  of  a  comprehensive  Jewish  library  to  which  the  Bibliog¬ 
rapher  can  point  as  the  greatest  storehouse  of  Jewish  literary  works  of  all 
descriptions  became  imperative,  and  there  was  no  better  place  suited  to 
house  a  Jewish  National  Library  than  the  city  where  the  cradle  of  Jewish 
nationality  once  stood. 

DR.  JOSEPH  HAZANOWITZ 

The  credit  of  bringing  into  being  the  Central  National  Jewish  Library 
is  due  to  the  celebrated  Jewish  physician  and  Zionist,  Dr.  Joseph  Hazano- 
witz,  of  Bialostock,  who  on  a  visit  to  Palestine  with  the  late  Rabbi  Samuel 
Mohliever  conceived  the  idea  of  founding  a  large  national  library  there.  He 
began  his  work  by  endeavoring  to  enlarge  the  Abarbanel  Library,  that  had 
existed  in  the  Holy  City  for  some  years.  He  presented  to  the  Midrash 
Abarbanel  his  private  collection  of  ten  thousand  carefully  selected  volumes, 
and  induced  his  townsmen  to  send  five  thousand  more  to  his  pet  institution. 
The  growth  of  this  library  and  the  collection  of  funds  to  erect  a  suitable 
building  for  the  steadily  increasing  volumes  became  his  life  work.  Almost 
the  whole  of  his  income  he  devoted  to  the  purchase  of  Hebrew  books.  If  he 
did  not  succeed  as  yet  in  making  it  the  largest  Jewish  collection  in  the  world, 
he  is  not  to  be  blamed,  no  more  than  Herzl  could  be  blamed  for  not  making 
Palestine  thoroughly  Jewish  in  his  lifetime.  If  Hazanowitz  had  had  the 
support  of  Jewry,  his  dream  of  a  large  central  Jewish  library  would  have 


'*>  *•  4  i 


WORKINGMEN’S  HOUSE  AND  GARDEN  AT  BEN  SHEMEN 


(See  Page  99) 


WEEDING  CORN 


A  TYPE  OF  THE  OLD  SETTLEMENT,  JERUSALEM 


A  VIEW  OF  MOUNT  MORIAH  AND  MOUNT  OF  OLIVES 
At  the  foot  of  Mount  of  Olives  are  seen  several  Monuments 


NEW  JERUSALEM 


157 


become  a  reality.  Through  lack  of  support,  he  could  not  enter  the  book 
market  and  many  a  precious  literary  treasure  that  should  have  gone  to 
Jerusalem  went  to  some  corner  of  a  museum  of  antiquities  in  some  Euro¬ 
pean  capital. 

The  foundation  for  a  local  library  was  laid  by  the  Tifereth  Jerusalem 
Society  in  1875,  at  the  celebration  of  the  ninetieth  anniversary  of  the  birth 
of  Sir  Moses  Montefiore.  (It  was  known  as  the  Library  of  Moses  and 
Judith  Montefiore.)  Owing  to  the  opposition  of  some  fanatics,  it  had  to 
close  its  doors28.  The  books  presented  to  the  Tifereth  Jerusalem  by  such 
eminent  men  as  Solomon  Buber,  Isaac  Reifman,  Doctors  Freienfeld,  Boh- 
ner  and  I.  Wehener  were  locked  up  in  some  private  houses. 

In  1892,  when  the  four  hundredth  anniversary  of  the  expulsion  of  the 
Jews  from  Spain  and  their  landing  on  Turkish  soil  was  celebrated  by  the 
Sephardic  Jews  of  Jerusalem,  the  B’nai  Brith  Lodge  of  that  city  reorgan¬ 
ized  the  library  in  commemoration  of  that  great  historic  event  and  as  a 
monument  to  the  man  in  whose  life  the  greatest  tragedy  of  Jewish  history 
took  place,  Don  Isaac  Abarbanel.  In  the  year  1894,  through  the  efforts  of 
Joshua  Sirkin,  of  Minsk,  the  old  collection  of  “Tifereth  Jerusalem”  Library 
was  transferred  to  the  new  library,  as  well  as  the  collections  of  the  Hebrew* 
poet  J.  L.  Gordon,  Herr.  Schwartzbord  of  Riga,  and  Abraham  Sack  of  St.. 
Petersburg.  (In  the  latter’s  collection  was  the  “Biblia  Polyglotta,”  English 
edition.)  Through  the  untiring  efforts  of  Dr.  Hazanowitz  the  collection 
became  so  extensive  that  the  meeting  hall  where  the  books  were  stored 
proved  too  small  to  house  all  the  volumes.  A  library  building  became  neces¬ 
sary.  A  building  lot  was  purchased  and  a  right  wing  of  a  well-planned 
structure  was  erected.  The  cost  of  the  building  is  138,000  francs  ($27,600) 
and  consists  of  two  floors,  the  main  floor  for  books,  the  second  floor  for  a 
reading  room  and  an  auditorium  for  lectures. 

In  1907  the  libraries  of  the  late  Professor  Herman  Shapiro,  Herr. 
Feigenberg  and  three  thousand  more  volumes  presented  by  Dr.  Hazanowitz 
were  added  to  the  library.  A  short  time  before  the  writer  visited  Jerusalem 
the  collection  of  Dr.  Plaskow,  of  Simferopol,  consisting  of  three  thousand 
and  ninety  volumes,  was  added  to  the  Midrash  Abarbanel.  Altogether  there 
are  thirty-eight  thousand  bound  volumes,  twenty  thousand  of  which  are  in 
the  Hebrew  language.  The  rest  are  almost  in  every  language  of  Europe. 

It  is  not  only  a  place  for  the  conserving  of  books,  it  is  also  a  gathering 
place  for  the  intellectuals  of  all  shades  of  opinion.  The  writer  has  seen 

28  These  fanatics  reported  to  Sir  Moses  that  the  library  organized  in  his  name  by  the 
Maskilim  is  turning  away  the  Jewish  youth  of  Jerusalem  from  their  religion,  and  Montefiore- 
begged  to  have  his  name  removed  from  the  library.  (See  Luach  Erez  Israel,  1912,  p.  15.) 


158 


NEW  JUDEA 


Jews  of  the  old  school,  wearers  of  the  “Streimel,”  absorbed  in  the  London 
Jewish  World,  and  the  Haham  of  the  Yeshiba,  with  his  long  caftan  and 
bushy  beard,  immersed  over  some  publication  of  a  latter  day.  On  Saturday 
afternoons  the  assembly  room  of  the  library  is  crowded  with  an  eager 
public  who  come  to  listen  to  some  interesting  address  delivered  by  a  promi¬ 
nent  speaker. 

A  writer  describing  the  life  and  personality  of  Hazanowitz  says :  His 
clothes  and  his  bachelor  apartment  are  the  most  modest.  All  the  money 
he  earns  as  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  busiest  physicians  he  invests  in 
books,  arranges  them,  binds  them  anew  and  ships  them  at  his  own  expense 
to  the  library  of  Jerusalem.  His  work  involves  not  only  the  expenditure  of 
money  but  also  time  and  patient  study.  He  is  in  close  touch  with  the  sellers 
of  rare  books,  he  examines  catalogues  of  antique  volumes  and  biographical 
notes  and  gathers  information  about  manuscripts.  He  does  all  this  when¬ 
ever  he  can  spare  an  hour  from  his  practice  of  medicine. 

The  man  is  unique,  his  shrewd  face  is  covered  with  a  gray  beard, 
his  head  covered  with  a  fur  cap  and  his  body  with  a  long  fur-lined  coat; 
his  general  cheerfulness  makes  him  an  extraordinary  individual,  not  a 
man  with  a  mere  hobby,  but  one  imbued  with  a  passionate  ideal.  He 
sees  in  the  Jerusalem  library  not  only  a  collection  of  books,  but  a  centre 
to  which  the  intellectual  world  might  turn,  and  to  which  Jewish  scholars 
will  be  attracted  as  their  investigations  become  broader.  He  does  not 
collect  books  only;  pictures,  photographs  of  Jewish  life  and  relics  of  Jew¬ 
ish  interest  are  game  for  his  collection  bag. 

The  national  library  stands  as  a  great  monument  to  the  man  through 
whose  efforts  that  great  collection  was  made  possible,  and  in  honor  of 
whom  the  name  “Ginzei  Joseph”  was  added  to  the  library. 

THE  CLIMATE  OF  JERUSALEM 

Generally  speaking,  the  climate  of  Jerusalem  is  very  agreeable,  ow¬ 
ing  to  its  situation,  over  two  thousand  feet  above  the  sea  level.  A  light 
breeze  is  always  present  in  the  city,  especially  in  the  afternoon  and  even¬ 
ing.  (It  only  fails  to  blow  in  May  and  October,  the  two  severest  months 
of  the  year).  The  heat  from  June  to  September  is  moderate  and  the 
tourist  finds  it  very  pleasant.  The  nights  are  really  cold,  and  one  often 
requires  the  covering  of  more  than  one  blanket.  It  is  seldom  safe  to  go 
out  in  the  evening  without  an  overcoat.  The  average  temperature  of  a 
Jerusalem  summer  is  about  78°  F.,  but  there  are  seldom  hot  spells  such 
as  occur  every  year  in  New  York  or  Philadelphia. 


NEW  JERUSALEM 


159 


The  writer,  in  company  with  others,  has  traveled  in  the  sun  six 
hours  continually  in  Judea  without  any  tiring  effect  other  than  the 
natural  discomfort  from  dust  or  perspiration.  The  direct  rays  of 
the  sun  are  very  hot  and  dangerous  if  one  neglects  to  protect  the  head 
and  neck,  but  in  the  shadow  of  a  massive  wall  or  a  rock  the  temperature 
would  be  as  much  as  fifty  degrees  cooler  than  the  sunshine  glare.  The 
houses  are  built  with  thick  stone  walls,  the  domes  make  the  ceilings 
high  and  the  shaded  windows  reduce  the  temperature  so  that  it  seldom 
rises  above  80°.  The  singular  healthfulness  of  the  climate  and  the  fresh 
mountain  air  act  as  natural  preventatives  of  diseases  in  Jerusalem 
that  might  otherwise  become  endemic. 

THE  SANITARY  CONDITION  OF  JERUSALEM 

The  defective  cisterns,  the  decomposed  vegetable  and  animal  mat¬ 
ter  and  all  sorts  of  disease-producing  refuse  that  is  being  deposited  on 
the  narrow  streets  would  make  Jerusalem  endemic  for  plague,  cholera, 
typhus  and  many  other  diseases,  if  it  were  not  for  the  natural  sanitation 
that  mis-government  could  not  affect.  But  in  spite  of  nature’s  efforts 
to  counteract  unhealthy  condition,  Providence  cannot  entirely  make  up 
for  all  human  neglect.  Sickness  due  to  bad  hygiene  and  gross  careless¬ 
ness  does  prevail  in  Jerusalem;  chief  among  these  are  intermittent  ma¬ 
larial  fever  and  granular  conjunctivitis.  The  first  seldom  appears  in  a  se¬ 
vere  form,  if  attention  is  paid  to  simple  rules  of  hygiene.  The  writer  was 

called  to  see  Rabbi  F - ,  who  came  a  few  months  previously  from  New 

York,  and  found  him  suffering  with  terrific  chills,  appearing  every  other 
day,  with  a  temperature  of  105  an  hour  after  the  chill.  The  rabbi  was 
very  much  emaciated  and  weakened  from  the  repeated  attacks  and  he  (the 
writer)  was  indeed  surprised  to  discover  that  the  rabbi  had  not  thought 
it  necessary  to  treat  the  ailment.  He  gave  credence  to  the  popular  belief 
among  the  Jerusalem  Jews  that  malaria  is  no  disease;  it  is  a  condition 
every  foreigner  has  to  confront  when  settling  in  Jerusalem.  The  writer 
impressed  upon  the  patient  the  importance  of  hygienic  precaution, 
the  use  of  mosquito  netting  in  sleeping  rooms,  screens  on  doors  and 
windows,  boiling  of  drinking  water,  remaining  in  the  house  after  sunset 
and  the  administration  of  quinine.  On  a  subsequent  visit  he  was  in¬ 
formed  that  the  patient  had  recovered. 

Trachoma  is  also  a  disease  that  may  be  easily  prevented  by  applying 
simple  rules  of  cleanliness.  In  a  colony  near  the  city  of  Jaffa  64  per 


160 


NEW  JUDEA 


cent,  of  the  school  children  suffered  from  granular  lids.  Under  proper 
care  of  the  eyes  and  general  cleanliness  the  figures  were  reduced  to  one- 
half  per  cent.  The  writer  was  told  by  one  of  the  nurses  who  gives  daily 
attention  to  the  pupils  of  the  Beth  Hasefer  le-Banoth  of  Jaffa  that  the 
reduction  of  that  scourge  through  simple  instruction  in  the  rules  of 
cleanliness  to  parents  and  children  was  remarkable. 

HOSPITALS 

Of  the  general  hospitals  in  Jerusalem,  the  “Shaarei  Zedek”  is  the 
most  modern.  It  has  a  fine  structure,  with  an  up-to~date  oper¬ 
ating  room,  well  equipped  chemical  and  pathological  laboratories  and 
isolating  and  convalescing  wards.  It  can  accommodate  seventy-five 
patients.  This  hospital  is  situated  in  the  best  section  of  New  Jeru' 
salem  and  is  surrounded  by  large  lawns  and  gardens.  It  is  under  the 
management  of  a  Frankfurt  organization. 

Of  the  other  hospitals  mention  should  be  made  of  the  Ashkenazic 
Hospital,  “Bikkur  Cholim,”  which  has  also  put  up  a  new  building  re¬ 
cently  and  is  in  a  position  to  do  good  work.  The  “Misgab  Ladach” 
Hospital29  of  the  Sephardic  community  is  situated  in  the  old  city.  Its 
efficiency  as  a  modern  hospital  is  doubtful. 

By  far  the  best  endowed  and  the  oldest  medical  institution  is  the 
Rothschild  Hospital,  built  in  1854  by  Baron  Meyer  de  Rothschild  of 
the  Paris  branch  of  that  family.  It  is  non-sectarian  and  is 
well  equipped  not  only  to  treat  large  numbers  of  patients,  but  also  to 
do  research  work.  Of  the  dispensaries  may  be  mentioned  the  eye  clinic, 
“L’maan  Zion,”  which  has  been  doing  excellent  work  in  Jerusalem  in 
preventing  and  treating  eye  diseases. 

One  of  the  most  worthy  institutions  is  the  “Blind  Asylum.”  In  a 
city  like  Jerusalem,  where  the  diseases  of  the  eyes  are  endemic  and  all 
forms  of  ocular  troubles  exist,  an  institution  like  the  blind  asylum  meets 
a  great  demand.  To  watch  the  numerous  blind  children,  happy  at  work 
and  study,  gladdens  one’s  heart.  It  is  a  pity  that  this  benevolent  insti¬ 
tution  cannot  be  made  larger  to  accommodate  more  of  the  dozens  of 
children  that  roam  about  the  streets  of  Jerusalem  with  almost  every 
form  of  eye  trouble  resulting  in  complete  or  partial  blindness.  One 
often  meets  on  the  street  children  with  sore  and  inflamed  eyes  covered 
with  offensive  muco-purulant  discharge,  whereon  flies  are  feeding,  and 
many  disfigured  organs  of  vision  that  should  go  to  an  institution. 


29  Donated  by  the  late  Samuel  Polakoff  of  Russia  and  other  philanthropists. 


NEW  JERUSALEM 


161 


The  founders  of  this  institution  are  the  great  authority  on  the  city 
of  Jerusalem  and  on  the  Jerusalem  Talmud,  A.  M.  Luncz,  and  the  cele¬ 
brated  physician,  Dr.  Kaisewsky.  Mr.  Luncz  knows  every  nook  and 
corner  of  the  old  city,  though  blind  himself;  his  books  are  the  best  guides 
of  Jerusalem.  His  chief  interest  is  the  Blind  Asylum,  to  which  he  de¬ 
votes  most  of  his  time  and  energy.  This  home  for  the  blind  is  a 
rented  building  of  very  poor  accommodations  and  not  suited  for  this 
noble  purpose. 

The  homes  for  the  aged,  as  the  “Vereinigte  Alten  Haus”  (Moshab 
Z’kenim)  of  the  Ashkenazim  and  the  Beth  Z’kenim  of  the  Sephardim,  to¬ 
gether  with  al  number  of  orphan  asylums,  complete  the  list  of  benevolent 
institutions  and  give  the  impression  that  Jewish  Jerusalem  is  well  equipped 
to  take  care  of  its  own  sick. 

NATHAN  STRAUS  HEALTH  BUREAU. 

Of  late  a  Jewish  Health  Bureau  has  been  established  through  the 
munificent  gift  of  the  great  American  Jew,  Nathan  Straus.  The  bureau 
is  attached  to  another  American  institution,  the  “Jewish  Agricultural 
Experimenting  Station,”  under  the  management  of  Aaron  Aaronson. 
The  purpose  of  the  bureau  is  to  guide  the  Palestine  public  in  a  campaign 
against  preventable  disease,  such  as  trachoma,  malaria,  etc.  If  this 
bureau  carried  out  its  program  there  will  be  no  need  for  so  many  hos¬ 
pitals  in  Jerusalem.  “The  Society  of  Jewish  Physicians  and  Scientists 
for  the  Improvement  of  the  Sanitary  Conditions  of  Palestine,”  whose 
object  is  to  discuss  medical  and  hygienic  subjects  and  to  publish  and 
spread  literature  on  sanitation  and  hygiene  among  the  Jewish  residents 
in  Palestine,  is  also  doing  excellent  work  in  the  right  direction.  These 
two  societies  have  recently  united  with  the  German  society  for  combat¬ 
ing  malaria  in  Jerusalem  under  the  name  “International  Health  Insti¬ 
tute.”  The  International  Health  Institute  consists  of  four  departments : 

1.  Hygiene  and  Public  Health. 

2.  Bacteriology. 

3.  Study  and  Treatment  of  Malaria. 

4.  Serology. 

The  first  two  departments  are  maintained  by  the  Nathan  Straus 
Foundation  and  take  in  the  treatment  of  trachoma  and  hydrophobia. 
The  third  division  is  maintained  by  the  organization  for  combatting  Ma¬ 
laria  in  Jerusalem.  The  fourth  division  is  maintained  by  the  Society  of 


162 


NEW  JUDEA 


Jewish  Physicians  and  Scientists  for  the  Improvement  of  the  Sanitary 
Conditions  of  Palestine. 

The  International  Health  Institute  is  in  charge  of  a  Director,  elected 
for  two  years  by  a  “Curatorium”  representing  the  three  organizations. 

Nathan  Straus  has  also  established  a  relief  station  which  is  con¬ 
ducted  on  non-sectarian  principles,  and  an  employment  bureau,  situated 
in  the  Old  City,  under  the  management  of  Dr.  I.  Levy,  Rabbi  Horowitz 
and  Dr.  Beliak. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


DEPARTURE  FROM  JERUSALEM. 

The  time  had  come  to  depart  from  Jerusalem.  According  to  the 
route  marked  out  for  us,  we  were  scheduled  to  return  to  Jaffa  that  day 
and  thence  by  way  of  Haifa  to  Northern  Palestine,  lower  and  upper 
Galilee. 

We  were  up  early  to  attend  to  some  shopping  at  the  bazaars  and  the 
souvenir  stores.  A  western  wind  was  fanning,  cooling  off  the  hot  tem¬ 
perature  which  is  usual  for  the  early  morning  in  the  Holy  City  during 
the  summer.  I  mounted  an  upper  balcony  of  the  hotel  to  get  the  last 
glimpse  of  Jerusalem.  To  the  East  was  Mount  Olivet,  its  summit  bath¬ 
ing  in  the  golden  light  of  the  rising  sun  and  its  body  covered  with  a 
green  blanket  of  grass.  There  was  the  beautiful  dome  of  Omar  bring¬ 
ing  back  to  the  mind  a  thousand  years  of  history.  Towards  the  south¬ 
west  the  quaint  tower  of  David,  with  a  wealth  of  recollections  that  sur¬ 
rounded  the  Davidic  dynasty,  and  towards  the  north  the  place  where 
Titus  had  prosecuted  the  siege  that  resulted  in  such  a  terrible  massacre 
and  two  thousand  years  of  exile.  But  nothing  was  so  cheering  to  the 
eye  as  when  it  wandered  beyond  the  city  walls  in  a  northwestern  direc¬ 
tion — a  picture  of  New  Jerusalem  was  in  the  field  of  vision.  The  de¬ 
scendants  of  those  whom  Titus  thought  he  had  exterminated  have  re¬ 
turned  to  rebuild  the  ruins  of  Zion  and  to  reinhabit  the  city  of  David. 

There,  beyond  the  walls,  was  the  Bezalel,  the  Midrash  Abrabanel, 
the  new  schools,  and  the  many  benevolent  Jewish  institutions.  It  was 
a  wonderful  view,  one'  that  cannot  be  effaced  from  the 
memory.  One  thought  followed  the  other  in  rapid  succession  and  found 
expression  in  the  following  verses : 

‘'Jerusalem!  My  glorious  home, 

Name  ever  dear  to  me. 

When  shall  my  labors  have  an  end, 

In  joy  and  peace  and  thee? 

Oh !  when,  thou  city  of  my  God, 

Shall  I  thy  courts  ascend? 

Where  prayers  of  worship  never  cease, 

And  Sabbaths  never  end?” 

163 


164 


NEW  JUDEA 


A  few  minutes  later  we  were  on  the  way  to  the  railroad  station  to 
catch  the  10  o’clock  train  for  Jaffa.  I  would  like  to  dwell  on  the  several 
sight-seeing  excursions  in  and  around  Jerusalem,  on  the  tombs  of  proph¬ 
ets  and  judges,  on  a  trip  to  Jericho,  to  the  Dead  Sea,  to  the  Jordan  and 
to  Bethlehem,  but  I  am  obliged  to  bear  in  mind  that  the  first  duty  of 
the  traveler  is  not  to  exhaust  his  subject,  and  that  my  primary  object 
was  to  speak  of  the  new  life  in  Judea,  so  I  will  limit  myself  now  to  the 
excursions  to  the  colonies. 

The  train  left  the  station  and  was  soon  passing  diversified  country 
roads,  lofty  hills  and  deep  ravines,  barren  in  appearance,  and  rarely  was 
the  presence  of  human  life  to  be  seen.  A  landscape  without  grandeur 
and  beauty  was  in  view.  Countless  rocks  scattered  among  the  mountain 
slopes,  evidently  from  ancient  terraces  and  old  city  walls,  whose  ancient 
sites  are  still  preserved.  The  little  cultivation  conveyed  the  impression 
of  decay  and  neglect,  yet  to  the  close  observer  it  was  evident  that  this 
desolation  of  the  soil  was  not  due  to  natural  defects,  but  to  misgovern- 
ment,  and  that  it  may  be  transformed  under  a  proper  stimulus  to  what 
it  was  thousands  of  years  ago,  “a  land  of  wheat  and  barley,  of  vines  and 
fig  trees  and  pomegranates,  a  land  of  olives  and  honey.” 

A  short  distance  from  Ramleh  and  two  miles  towards  the  right  of 
the  railroad  line  was  pointed  out  to  us  the  historic  city,  “Gezer,”  dis¬ 
covered  in  1871  by  the  French  archaeologist,  Clement  Ganneau,  on  the 
estate  of  M.  Bergheim,  of  Jerusalem.  While  studying  old  Arabic  geog¬ 
raphers,  the  French  explorer  came  upon  the  name  of  a  city,  “Tell  Al- 
Jazar.”  After  a  thorough  investigation  he  located  a  mound  near  the 
village  Abu  Shusheh,  on  the  Bergheim  estate,  known  by  the  natives  as 
“Tell  Al-Jazar,”  that  tallied  with  the  topographical  descriptions  of  the 
Bible.  He  began  to  make  excavation  in  the  mound  and  discovered  a 
tablet  with  the  name  “Alkio”  in  Greek  inscribed  on  the  top  and  below 
in  Hebrew  inscript,  “T’hum  Gezer”  (limits  of  Gezer).  1-2-3'4 


1  Gezer  is  mentioned  in  Joshua  as  a  city  close  to  the  boundaries  of  Ephraim(  Josh.  xvi:3), 
also  as  a  Levitical  city'  (Josh.  xxi:21). 

2  The  book  of  Kings  has  it  that  Pharaoh  gave  Gezer  to  Solomon  as  a  dowry  (I  Kings 
ix  :15-17. 

3  In  the  Egyptian  insteriptions  and  the  Amarna  letters  it  is  classed  as  a  Royal  Canaan- 
ite  city.  It  appears  that  it  was  not  Jewish  until  the  time  of  the  Maccabees.  Simon  drove 
out  the  inhabitants  and  settled  it  with  Jews. 

4  M  Bergheim,  influenced  by  its  historic  value,  had  decided  to  build  a  summer  residence 
on  his  estate,  which  consisted  of  11,000  D.  But  he  did  not  enjoy  his  home  very  long,  for  he 
was  murdered  on  his  estate  one*  night  by  a  band  of  jealous  neighbors  (Haifa,  p.290).  The 
estate  of  Bergheim  has  passed  over  to  the  Rothschild  interests,  and  a  new  Jewish  colony 
will  some  day  be  founded  there. 


DEPARTURE  FROM  JERUSALEM 


165 


A  special  commission  sent  by  the  English  Exploration  Fund  to 
verify  the  discovery  found  four  more  tablets  that  settled  beyond  dispute 
the  identity  of  Gezer. 

Further  on,  a  cluster  of  mud  houses  was  pointed  out  to  us  to  be 
the  village  of  Yazor,  or  Hazar  Shaul5 

Curiously  enough,  around  these  villages  many  small  foxes  are  still 
seen  roaming  about  the  field,  and  it  reminds  one  of  Samson,  who  caught 
"three  hundred  foxes  and  took  fire  brands  and  connected  them  to  the 
tails  of  the  foxes  and  let  them  go  into  the  standing  corn  of  the  Phil¬ 
istines. ”8 

The  train  soon  ran  into  the  richer  regions  of  the  Shephela  and 
Sharon,  passing  the  dark  green  olive  forests  of  Ramleh  and  the  beauti¬ 
ful  village  of  Lydda.  Soon  the  suburban  clay  villages  of  Jaffa,7  with 
its  beautiful  orange  groves,  fig  trees,  tender  grape  vines  and  numerous 
singing  birds,  presented  a  charming  view.  The  scene  was  fairy-like, 
everything  appeared  cheerful  and  bright,  and  we  sang  with  Solomon 
as  we  reached  the  gates  of  Jaffa,  “The  flowers  appear  on  the  earth,  the 
time  of  singing  of  birds  is  coming,  the  voice  of  the  turtle  dove  is  heard 
in  our  land,  the  fig  tree  putteth  forth  her  green  figs  and  the  vines  the 
tender  grapes,  with  their  good  smell.”8  We  reached  Jaffa  about  two 
o’clock,  and  that  very  day  we  boarded  a  dilligence  for  the  largest  and 
most  populated  colony  in  Judea. 


8  Josh.  XIX  :  3. 

*  Judges  XV  :4. 

T  The  roofs  of  some  of  these  houses  are  covered  with  a  large  crop'  of  grass,  and  recalls 
the  words  of  the  prophet:  “As  the  grass  on  the  housetops,  and  as  corn  blasted  before  it  be 
grown”  ((II  Kings  xix:26,  or  of  the  Psalmist:  “Let  them  be  as  grass  upon  the  housetops, 
which  withereth  before  it  groweth  up  (Psalms  cxxix:6).  Some  houses  have  on  their  roofs  a 
tent,  possibly  the  type  of  “summer  house”  of  Amos  iii:15. 

8  Song  of  Songs  ii:12. 


CHAPTER  XX. 


PETACH  TIKVAH  (THE  GATE  OF  HOPE). 

This  colony  is  located  about  two  hours  and  a  half  carriage  ride  north 
of  Jaffa.  We  passed  through  the  quiet  street  of  Tel  Abib,  and  the  road 
was  leading  to  the  German  colony  Sharona.  The  diligence  was  crowded 
with  passengers,  most  of  whom  were  merchants  and  shoppers  of  Petach 
Tikvah,  among  whom  were  Herr  A.,  formerly  a  representative  of  the 
“Ika”  at  Petach  Tikvah  and  now  the  most  successful  planter  of  the  col¬ 
ony,  to  whom  thanks  are  due  for  much  valuable  information  about  the 
colony  and  its  environs;  and  Mr.  K.,  a  naturalized  American,  who  made 
some  money  in  Brownsville,  N.  Y.,  in  real  estate  operations,  and  when 
that  place  did  not  pay  any  more,  returned  to  Petach  Tikvah,  where  he 
made  a  success  as  a  real  estate  speculator.  We  did  not  heed  the  crowded1 
conditions  of  the  vehicle  nor  the  frequent  bumps  and  knocks  sustained 
form  the  old  Roman  roads.  We  were  interested  in  the  many  Bedouin 
villages,  whose  inhabitants  were  seated  in  front  of  their  tents,  near  the 
road  side,  smoking  the  narghilah  and  gossiping.  The  low  hills  were 
covered  with  fields  of  waving  grain,  interspersed  with  freshly  plowed 
squares  or  with  delicate  pale  blue  patches  of  coarse  beans,  known  to  the 
natives  as  “turmors.”  Here  and  there  stately  looking  palms  and  syca¬ 
more  trees  were  seen,  and  meadows  with  numerous  cattle  grazing  upon 
them. 


SHARONA. 

After  a  half  hour’s  drive  we  came  to  the  German  colony,  Sharona, 
founded  by  the  Templar  Society  of  Wurttemberg,  who  came  here  in 
the  early  sixties  to  await  the  arrival  of  the  Messiah.  We  passed 
through  a  wide  thoroughfare,  shaded  by  two  rows  of  Eucalyptus  trees 
on  both  sides  of  the  street.  The  houses  are  of  the  same  style  of  archi¬ 
tecture  as  those  of  the  German  colony  in  Jaffa.  We  admired  the  neatness 
of  the  little  houses,  the  forest-like  surroundings,  the  beautiful  vineyards 
and  the  vast  meadows.  Most  of  the  cottages  had  their  exteriors  freshly 
whitewashed  and  formed  a  pleasant  contrast  to  the  red  roofs  upon  the 

houses  and  the  green  lawns  about  them.  The  colony  has  about  thirty- 

166 


PETACH  TIKVAH 


16T 


five  families,  and  judging  from  outside  appearances  the  inhabitants  of 
Sharona  are  prosperous. 

The  soil  is  fertile  and  its  proximity  to  so  large  a  town  as 
Jaffa,  which  numbers  about  40,000  inhabitants,  enables  the  settlers  to 
dispose  readily  of  their  products.  They  occupy  themselves  mainly  with 
dairy  farming.  They  employ  even  a  Jewish  overseer  (Mashgiah),  so 
that  milk,  butter  and  cheese  may  be  sold  to  the  religious  Jews  of  Jaffa. 
In  dairying  they  meet  with  more  success  than  the  Jewish  colonists, whose 
cattle,  being  of  a  domestic  species,  were  poor  in  appearanec  and  gave 
little  milk. 


In  order  to  extend  the  dairy  industry  in  the  Jewish  colonies  it  was 
important  to  import  cattle  from  Europe  and  to  secure  better  pasture 
in  the  colonies.  The  Templars,  however,  are  far  behind  the  Jewish  col¬ 
onists  as  planters  and  vine  growers. 

In  spite  of  their  propsperous  condition,  the  Templars  are  not  grow¬ 
ing  in  population.  After  a  half  century  of  residence  in  Sharona  they 
barely  number  thirty-five  families.  The  reason  for  this  is  because 
they  cannot  stand  the  climate  of  lower  Judea.  It  is  particularly 
hard  on  children,  whose  mortality  has  been  very  high.  Many,  therefore, 
leave  the  country  for  German  South  Africa  or  other  German  colonies. 
The  same  conditions  exist  among  the  Circassians,  in  the  neighbor¬ 
hood  of  Hederah,  and  the  Bosnians  around  Caesarea;  the  last  named 
especially  are  succumbing  to  disease  prevailing  in  lower  Judea.1 

The  Jews,  however,  seem  to  enjoy  immunity  in  the  land  of  their  an¬ 
cestors,  if  attention  is:  paid  by  them  to1  the  usual  sanitary  and  hygienic 
regulations. 

We  were  informed  on  good  authority  that  the  entire  colony  was 
for  sale  and  that  a  company  of  Jews  from  Southern  Russia  are  negotiat¬ 
ing  for  the  purchase  of  Sharona. 

The  road  from  the  German  settlement  to  Petach  Tikvah  is  not  in 
the  best  condition.  The  fields  along  the  way  appear  to  be  neglected, 
the  soil  poorly  cultivated,  but  nature  appeared  to  have  made  up  for 
human  neglect  and  had  brought  forth  a  veritable  sea  of  wild  flowers  of 
the  daintiest  variety  and  most  exquisite  color.  In  whatever  direction 
one  looked  there  was  a  world  of  flowers. 


>  It  appears  from  the  Biblical  narrative  that  certain  races  could  never  acclimate  them¬ 
selves  in  Judea.  Thus  the  Messengers  said:  “The  land  to  which  we  have  gone  to  search  is 
a  land  that  eateth  up  the  Inhabitants  thereof.”  (Num.  XI:  23.) 


168 


NEW  JUDEA 


NAHL  JARKON2 

In  about  an  hour  we  drove  along1  the  banks  of  a  little  river,  Aujeh 
(mei  Jarkon),  and  a  typical  Oriental  picture  presented  itself.  A  caravan 
of  Bedouins  were  sitting  with  their  legs  folded,  near  their  loaded  camels, 
which  were  kneeling  under  the  old  willow  trees  on  the  banks  of  the 
stream.  Dark  Arab  shepherds  were  watering  their  flocks  in  the  river, 
men  and  women  were  sitting  at  the  banks,  gossiping;  children  were  bath¬ 
ing  their  dark  little  bodies  in  the  water  and  girls  were  carrying  on  their 
heads  large  vessels  which  they  held  on  with  both  hands,  and  from  their 
naked  arms  bracelets  made  of  coins  were  visible.  Their  clothes  con¬ 
sisted  of  loose,  simple  dresses,  striped  in  many  brilliant  colors.  The 
vari-colored  garments  worn  by  children  were  customary  in  Biblical  days, 
and  it  was  the  coat  of  many  colors  presented  by  Jacob  to  Joseph  that 
aroused  the  jealousy  of  his  brethren  ;3  and  such  a  dress  was  also  worn  by 
the  daughter  of  David.4 

We  did  not  stop  at  the  river,  except  to  make  way  for  the  fair  water 
■carriers  who  greeted  us  in  their  graceful  native  fashion. 

THE  COLONY. 

It  was  twilight  when  we  entered  the  colony.  On  either  side  of  the 
road  leading  to  the  colony  flocks  of  goats,  sheep  and  cows  were  peace¬ 
fully  grazing.  From  a  distance  the  white  hills  of  Ephraim  were  receiv¬ 
ing  the  last  rays  of  the  sun, and  towards  the  left  the  horizon  was  darkened 
by  the  Eucalyptus  forest  of  Kefr  Saba.  We  soon  passed  the  little  for¬ 
est  of  Eucalyptus  trees  and  rode  up  on  a  long  zigzag  lane  lined  on  each 
side  with  hedges  of  prickly  pear,  thorny  acacia  and  oleanders  that  con¬ 
cealed  many  large  orange  groves,  and  we  entered  the  colony.  At  each 
side  were  rows  of  stony  dwellings,  partly  concealed  by  numerous  trees 
and  shrubbery.  In  front  of  these  cottages  people  were  sitting  and  en¬ 
tertaining  themselves,  and  as  we  passed  they  threw  critical  looks  upon 
the  foreigners  that  were  entering  their  village.  We  stopped  at  the 
“Hotel  Petach  Tikvah,”  where  we  were  hospitably  received  by  the  pro¬ 
prietor,  who  conducted  us  to  our  quarters,  while  a  Yemenite  porter 
followed  us  with  our  baggage.  The  evening  meal  was  of  a  quick  lunch 
variety ;  not  being  expected  guests,  we  had  no  choice  except  to  be  con- 


1  Jos.  19:  45. 

5  Gen.  27:  3. 

*  II  Sam.  13:  18. 


PET  AC  H  T1KVAH 


169s 


tented  with  what  could  be  found  in  the  pantry.  It  was,  however,  of  a 
digestible  character,  and  the  fact  that  we  did  not  have  to  wait  enabled 
us  to  spend  more  time  in  the  village,  and  we  soon  betook  ourselves  to 
sight-seeing  under  the  bright  moonlight  of  a  Palestinian  sky. 

The  first  impression  of  Petach  Tikvah  is  a  very  favorable  one.  Long 
rows  of  eucalyptus,  pine  and  acacia  trees,  hedges  of  prickly  pear,  olean¬ 
ders  and  other  shrubbery  such  as  the  momosa,  bearing  lovely  golden 
balls  of  tiny  flowers  and  used  as  an  enclosure  for  orchards  and  grovesr 
are  seen  almost  everywhere  in  the  colony.  Creeping  shrubbery  of  vari¬ 
ous  descriptions,  overhanging  porches  and  windows  afforded  a  cool  as¬ 
pect  to  many  cottages,  and  meadows  studded  with  white  and  yellow 
daisies,  lupines  of  red,  yellow  and  blue  shades,  brilliant  red  poppies  and 
scores  of  other  little  blossoms  were  a  pleasing  spectacle  in  the  village. 
Even  under  moonlight,  the  array  of  so  many  colors  showed  up  beauti¬ 
fully. 

On  our  return  to  the  hotel  we  met  Herr  A.  and  his  hospitable  wife 
at  the  front  of  his  lawn,  who  invited  us  for  tea.  There  we  spent  the  rest 
of  the  evening.  We  learned  of  the  dissensions  in  the  community.  The 
ultra-religious  faction  and  the  modern  element  were  at  loggerheads  and 
that  very  morning  Dr.  Bernstein  Kahan  was  refused  reelection  because 
he  sided  on  communal  questions  with  the  young  liberal  element,  who  were 
imbued  with  the  spirit  of  democracy  and  desired  the  Hebrew  language 
to  be  used  as  a  living  tongue.  It  was  indeed  painful  to  hear  that  one 
who  dedicated  the  best  part  of  his  life  to  the  interests  of  his  people, 
giving  up  a  well-paying  practice,  a  luxurious  home  and  an  enviable 
reputation,  should  be  so  rewarded. 

The  next  morning  the  writer  paid  his  respects  to  Dr.  Kahan.  He 
found  him  in  his  “ambulatory”  (dispensary),  busy  treating  patients.  I 
watched  the  doctor  do  minor  operations,  treating  wounds,  examine  eyesr 
analyze  gastric  secretion,  examine  blood  and  sputum  under  the  micro¬ 
scope,  etc.  In  every  case  the  most  scrupulous  care  was  taken  by  the 
physician  to  do  things  in  the  most  scientific  manner. 

HEALTH  CONDITIONS  OF  PETACH  TIKVAH. 

The  records  of  the  dispensary  had  shown  that  the  largest  propor¬ 
tion  of  cases  were  those  of  intermittent  malaria  and  chronic  cases  of 
malaria,  accompanied  with  anemia.  Next  to  malaria  the 
most  prevailing  diseases  were  dysentery  and  diarrhoea  in  children. 
Eruptive  diseases,  such  as  measles  in  children,  are  of  frequent  occur- 


170 


NEW  JUDEA 


rence.  Smallpox,  typhoid  fever,  typhus,  diphtheria  and  scarlet  fever 
are  rather  rare. 

Diseases  of  the  eyelids,  conjunctiva  and  media  are  very  prevalent, 
especially  that  form  of  conjunctivitis  known  as  granular  lids  or  “tra¬ 
choma, a  disease  also  common  among  Jews  of  other  countries.  Tuber¬ 
culosis,  pneumonia  and  other  affections  of  the  lungs  are  infrequent.  Of 
course,  most  of  the  diseases  prevailing  in  the  colony  are  either  prevent¬ 
able  or  curable  when  strict  attention  is  paid  to  hygienic  regulations  and 
when  a  physician  is  consulted  early  in  the  case. 

Diseases  due  to  chills  and  exposure,  such  as  bronchitis,  pneumonia, 
which  carry  away  many  children  every  year  in  colder  climates, 
and  diseases  of  the  nose  and  throat,  are  not  frequent  in  the 
colony.  The  warmer  climate  permits  living  out  of  doors  during  the 
largest  part  of  the  year.  Such  life  is  conducive  to  good  health.  Mala¬ 
ria  and  trachoma,  the  two  endemic  diseases  of  the  colony,  are  being 
held  under  control  and  are  gradually  disappearing,  thanks  to  the  heroic 
efforts  of  Jewish  philanthropists,  particularly  Baron  Edmund  de  Roth¬ 
schild,  who  ordered  eucalyptus  trees  to  be  planted  at  the  boundary  line 
of  the  colony  and  around  disease-producing  marshes ;  also  to  the  town 
consul,  who  made  it  obligatory  for  every  property  owner  to  plant  trees 
around  his  house- 

The  proper  care  of  the  eyes  has  reduced  that  eye  scourge  almost 
to  nil. 

I  bade  farewell  to  Dr.  Bernstein  Kahan  and  resumed  the  sight¬ 
seeing  tour  of  the  colony.  We  visited  the  communal  orange  grove  of 
the  Baron,  presented  to  the  city  by  the  Jewish  Colonization  Association. 

The  profits  of  the  sale  of  its  products  are  applied  to  communal  pur¬ 
poses.  This  grove  is  well  taken  care  of,  under  the  direction  of  the  town 
Council,  “Vaad  Hamoshaba.” 

JEWISH  COLONIZATION  ASSOCIATION. 

It  should  be  remembered  that  this  association,  which  was  entrusted 
with  the  administration  of  the  $30,000,000  left  by  the  great  philan¬ 
thropist,  Baron  de  Hirsch,  as  a  legacy  to  the  Jewish  people,  had  only 


PETACH  TIKVAH 


171 


taken  up  Palestine  work  in  the  year  of  1899,  when  they  assumed  the 
management  of  the  colonies  founded  by  Baron  Edmund  de  Rothschild. 
The  Baron  himself  took  no  interest  in  Palestine  during  his 

life,  not  because  he  was  averse  to  colonization  of  that  land, 

but  as  the  president  of  the  Ika  once  said,  “Baron  Hirsch 

could  not  or  would  not  be  Rothschild’s  rival.5  !Elkan  Adler 

gives  another  version  of  the  Baron’s  lack  of  interest  in  Palestine. 
He  had  heard  from  Baron  Hirsch’s  own  lips  that  the  Baron  feared  Pal¬ 
estine  would  eventually  fall  into  the  hands  of  Russia,  and  for  that  rea¬ 
son  he  preferred  the  Argentine  Republic.”6.  (Note  io.). 

Be  that  as  it  may,  since  the  Hirsch  interest  is  working  in  the 
colonies  a  spirit  of  self-help  has  been  inculcated,  which  has  made  the 
colonists  independent  and  self-supporting,  and  in  no  place  is  this  influ¬ 
ence  more  marked  than  in  Petach  Tikvah.  The  Ika  preferred  to  give 
this  grove  to  the  colony  as  a  public  domain  rather  than  give  financial 
assistance.  It  had  exploited  a  tract  of  land  in  the  district  of  Tiberias, 
known  as  “Sajara,”  which  is  being  operated  exclusively  by  Jewish" 
laborers.  Several  of  them  have  been  established  as  party  farmers. 

ORANGE  GROVE. 

Next  we  proceeded  to  visit  the  orange  plantation  of  Plerr  A.,  who 
was  a  fellow-passenger  with  us  from  Jaffa.  Pie  and  a  brother-in-law 
of  his,  are  reputed  to  have  the  finest  “Bayarehs”  (orange  groves),  in 
Palestine.  We  were  fortunate  to  find  him  there  and  he  received  us 
very  cordially.  He  related  to  us  numerous  interesting  incidents  in  the 
history  of  the  colony  and  conducted  us  to  the  large  reservoir  where 
water  was  stored  away  for  irrigation  purposes.  He  had  demonstrated 
the  system  of  conduits  through  which  the  water  flows  into  the  grove. 
We  saw  laborers  busy  regulating  the  flow  of  water  and  making  mud 
dams  around  each  tree  to  prevent  the  water  from  escaping,  another 
group  of  employes  were  working  at  the  vines,  cutting  off  dry 
branches,  spraying  the  plants  to  prevent  the  attacks  of  injurious  in¬ 
sects,  and  still  others  were  propping  up  bent-down  trees. 

The  large  variety  of  fragrant  flowers  and  tropical  plants  gave  it 
the  aspect  of  a  public  garden  rather  than  of  private  property,  and  the 
perfect  quietude  made  it  the  most  peaceful  place  one  can  wish  for.  The 


6  Maccabean,  190G. 

0  Jews  in  Many  Lands,  p.  92. 


172 


NEW  JUDEA 


only  sounds  heard  were  the  rustling  of  the  water  through  channels 
which  recalled  the  picture  of  the  psalmist,  “He  maketh  me  to  lie  down- 
in  the  green  pastures.  He  leadeth  me  beside  thq  still  waters*”7 

There  were  almost  all  kinds  of  fruits  in  that  garden,  among  them 
oranges,  lemons,  apples,  pears,  figs,  palm-dates,  grapes  and  bananas-. 
There  were  also  young  bamboo  trees  which  had  recently  been  imported 
from  tropical  lands.  The  value  of  this  “bayareh”  is  estimated  to  be 
500,000  Frcs.  ($100,000).  The  main  income  of  this  grove,  as  in  most 
of  the  “Bayarehs”  of  Petach  Tikvah,  is  from  the  orange  industry. 

Over  2,500,000  boxes  of  oranges  are  exported  from  this  colony 
every  year,  amounting  to  $500,000.  The  value  of  the  orange  plantations 
of  this  colony  is  said  to  be  five  million  Frcs.  ($1,000,000).  These  fig¬ 
ures  do  not  include  the  large  plantations  owned  by  the  Ika.8  This  is 
most  remarkable  considering  the  short  time  this  industry  has  been  in 
operation.  The  secret  of  success  lies  in  the  modern  irrigation  plants, 
which  are  operated  by  gasoline  motors  and  which  are  supplying  large 
quantities  of  water  necessary  for  such  cultivation.  In  Biblical  days 
artificial  irrigation  was  not  known  or  was  not  in  use  in  Palestine.  It 
is  questionable  if  oranges  were  cultivated  in  those  days.  There  is  only  one 
reference  in  the  Scriptures  to  the  golden  apples :  “A  word  fitly  spoken 
is  like  apples  of  gold  in  pictures  of  silver,”9  but  this  may  refer  to 
citrons.  Oranges  are  said  to  have  been  transplanted  from  Babylonia  to 
Palestine  on  the  return  from  qaptivity.10  In  Roman  days  citrons  and 
oranges  were  cultivated  by  Jews.  The  branches  of  palms  and  the  cit¬ 
ron  were  used  during  the  feast  of  Tabernacles. 

The  Arab  today,  like  his  predecessors,  in  raising  grain  and  figs  de¬ 
pends  on  rain  water,  but  for  valuable  crops,  such  as  oranges  or  lemons, 
that  need  moisture,  he  digs  numerous  wells  and  obtains  from  these 
wells  a  supply  of  water  by  means  of  a  pump  drawn  by  oxen  or  donkeys 
who  encircle  the  well  day  after  day. 

Even  the  German  colonists,  according  to  Herr  A.,  are  not  as  suc¬ 
cessful  as  the  Jews  in  the  orange  cultivation,  and  they  often  come  to 
Petach  Tikvah  for  advice  on  matters  of  viticulture.  While  Herr  A. 
was  talking  to  us  an  Arab  boy,  mounted  on  a  horse,  galloped  into  the 

T  Psalm  23 :  2. 

8  Nawratzki  Die  Juedische  Kolonisation  Palaestinas,  p.  174. 

9  Proy.  xxv  :11. 

The  Arabic  historian  Masudi  of  Bagdad,  who  wrote  in  943,  says  that  the  orange  came 
from  India  as  late  as  912. 

Auderlind  and  Aaronson  claim  that  the  Palestine  orange  is  only  about  two  hundred 


A  GROUP  OF  JEMENITE  JEWS 
(See  Page  69) 


YEMENITE  CHILDREN 
(See  Page  69) 


JAFFA  STREET  IN  JERUSALEM 


(See  Page  113 


SYNAGOGUE 
Zichron  Jacob 
(Page  185) 


EUCALYPTUS  STREET 
Zichron  Jacob 
(Page  185) 


N*.*' 


& 


RACHELS  TOMB 

“Rachel  weeping  for  her  children  refused  to  be  comforted...  thus  saith  the  Lord 

refrain  thy  voice  from  weeping  and  thine  eyes  from  tears  for  thy  work  shall  be 
rewarded  and  they  shall  come  again  from  the  land  of  the  enemy.” 

(Jer.  XXXI  :14-14.) 


PETACH  TIKVAH 


173 


“bayareh”  and  called  him  away.  He  took  possession  of  that  fine,  pure¬ 
bred  Arabian  beast,  and  bidding  us  farewell,  was  spirited  away,  leaving 
us  in  charge  of  an  aged  gentleman  who  was  introduced  as  one  of  the 
pioneers  in  Palestinian  colonization. 

In  the  course  of  a  conversation,  the  old  agriculturist  related  many 
episodes  connected  with  the  early  history  of  the  colony,  one  of  which 
impressed  itself  on  my  memory.  “It  was  a  short  while  after  we  came 
to  occupy  this  land,”  he  said,  “before  a  permanent  buildings  was  com¬ 
pleted,  and  we  were  all  squeezed  together  in  one  old  Arab  mud  hovel 
called  “hushot.”  The  place  was  then  wild,  and  we  were  busy  cleaning 
away  stones,  grading  the  land,  making  roads,  defining  the  boundaries 
of  our  colony  and  ploughing'  the  hard  soil.” 

“I  was  watching  a  field  of  wheat  whose  green  crops  had  just  made 
its  appearance.  One  day  while  patrolling  the  wheat  field,  I  noticed  the 
Arab  Sheikh,  of  the  neighboring  village^  El  Yehud,  had  turned  his 
horses  into  our  wheat.  I  chased  the  horses  away  and  went  over  to 
the  intruder  and  warned  him  not  to  do  it  again,  as  we  would  hold  him 
personally  responsible  for  all  damages.  The  Sheikh  glanced  at  me 
scornfully  and  turned  away.  A  few  weeks  passed,  the  wheat  field  was 
already  proudly  waving  in  the  air.  I  saw  from  a  distance  one  early 
morning  the  Sheikh  wrapped  in  a  black  “Abba”  and  a  large  “Kephiyah” 
on  his  head  coming  toward  the  colony.  I  gave  a  signal  to  my  com¬ 
rades.  In  a  few  minutes  they  were  up  and  we  assembled  behind  a 
cactus  hedge  to  decide  what  steps  to  take  with  the  treacherous  intruder. 
After  some  discussion  it  was  decided  that  we  must  once  for  all  show 
the  marauding  neighbors  that  we  do  not  fear  them  and  that  we  are 
ready  to  repell  and  punish  all  attacks  made  on  this  col¬ 
ony.  While  reaching  this  decision  we  noticed  the  same 
Sheikh  leaving  the  highway  and  turning  his  horse  into  the  wheat.  A 
few  of  us  immediately  jumped  on  our  horses  and  chased  after  the  in¬ 
truder.  He  began  to  run  and  we  followed  him  until  we  brought  him 
to  a  stop.  We  brought  him  and  his  horse  back  to  the  village,  where 
he  was  given  a  good  thrashing,  and  we  sent  him  off  to  his  home  warn¬ 
ing  him  that  if  this  happened  again  his  punishment  would  be  much 
more  severe.  He  stared  at  us  with  an  expression  of  vengeance  and 
then  spirited  away  among  the  hills.  About  a  month  passed  and  noth¬ 
ing  was  heard  of  the  Sheikh.  One  morning  we  learned  from  one  of 
our  Arab  laborers  that  we  were  to  be  attacked  on  a  certain  night  of 
that  week  by  the  tribesmen  of  the  Sheikh.  Not  knowing  how  many^ 


174 


NEW  JUDEA 


were  coming,  we  despatched  one  of  our  men  to  the  neighboring  colonies 
dor  assistance.  We  did  not  notify  the  authorities  in  Jaffa,  thinking  it 
would  be  more  effective  and  would  make  a  better  impression  on  the 
Arabs  if  we  convinced  them  once  for  all  that  we  did  not  fear  them 
and  that  we  could  use  firearms  better  than  they.  Pretending  that  it 
was  a  holy  day,  we  dismissed  all  the  Arab  laborers  for  a  few  days  so 
as  to  be  sure  that  our  enemies  would  not  be  informed  of  our  plans,  for 
we  discovered  that  they  were  spying  on  us.  On  the  afternoon  preced¬ 
ing  the  night  of  the  expected  attack,  a  score  of  men  and  women,  com¬ 
rades,  from  Rishon  l’Zion,  Ekron  and  Katra,  mounted  on  fine  horses 
and  armed  with  new  guns  at  their  backs,  revolvers  at  their  girdles  and 
belts  with  cartridges  around  their  waists,  rushed  on  our  village  like  a 
company  of  trained  cavalry  ready  to  close  in  on  the  enemy.  They 
dismounted  from  the  horses  and  sat  down  to  consult  with  us  about 
our  plan  of  warfare. 

“Towards  evening  each  man  was  assigned  to  a  strategic  position. 
We  knew  that  they  were  coming  down  the  main  road  and  that  they 
were  to  use  our  field  of  wheat  as  the  fighting  ground.  Some  of  us 
concealed  ourselves  near  the  entrance  of  the  village,  behind  piles  of 
stones,  other  in  ditches  and  behind  hills;  while  still  others  were  en¬ 
camped  behind  the  village  houses  that  were  in  process  of  erection,  and 
on  the  roof  of  the  hut  we  were  occupying. 

“The  expected  hour  came.  The  vanguards,  who  were  patrolling 
about  the  fields,  having  heard  from  a  distance  the  trotting  of  horses 
and  wild  voices  of  people,  signalled  to  us,  They  are  coming!  Be  ready 
for  action !  As  soon  as  the  enemy  entered  the  grounds  of  the  village 
two  shots  were  heard.  We  knew  it  was  the  signal  for  action.  A  vol¬ 
ley  of  fire  from  our  comrades  of  the  lower  side  of  the  colonv  broke 
out.  The  marauders  were  quickly  encircled  by  our  men  and  they  sur¬ 
rendered  before  we  had  a  chance  to  fire  a  shot  at  them.  Thev  were 
completely  taken  by  surprise.  We  made  prisoners  of  about  twenty  Arab 
ringleaders,  including  the  Sheikh,  bound  their  hands  and  feet  and  took 
them  the  next  day  to  Jaffa,  where  we  gave  them  over  to  the  authorities. 
The  others  did  not  need  much  warning.  They  were  glad  to  be  allowed  to 
get  away. 

“Since  that  incident,”  continued  my  new  friend,  “we  gained  the 
respect  of  our  neighbors,  and  we  have  no  organized  attacks,  except 
now  and  then  individual  robberies  that  may  happen  anywhere. 

“I  shall  never  forget,”  he  continued,  “the  wonderful  sight  of 


PET  AC  H  TIKVAH 


175 


mounted  women  galloping  into  our  colony  to  defend  the  life  and  prop¬ 
erty  of  their  Jewish  brethren.  In  the  lands  of  the  diaspora,  we  are  in 
the  habit  of  looking  upon  women  as  weak  creatures,  helpless,  unable  to 
take  care  of  themselves,  much  less  offering  protection  to  others. 
Palestine  has  demonstrated  that  Jewish  women  may  become  heroines 
under  proper  influence. 

“Here/’  he  said,  “the  women  are  brought  up  under  the  same  en¬ 
vironments,  attend  the  same  schools,  belong  to  the  same  gymnasiums, 
work  side  by  side  in  the  fields  with  men,  and  mount  a  horse  or  dis¬ 
charge  a  weapon,  when  necessary,  as  well  as  men.” 

CO-OPERATIVE  PLANTATIONS. 

In  company  with  this  gentleman  we  proceeded  to  Bacharia,  or  the 
Co-operative  Garden,  and  we  were  again  surprised  at  the  satisfactory 
condition  of  the  new  enterprise. 

“The  co-operative  plam  is  the  most  feasible  one  to  develop  the 
land,”  remarked  our  good  friend,  “for  it  requires  a  capital  of  eight  to 
ten  thousand  dollars  in  order  to  derive  a  livelihood  from  plantations. 
The  cost  of  an  irrigation  plant  is  very  high.  The  digging  of  a  well 
about  ninety  feet  deep  would  cost  about  $1000.  Building  a  reservoir, 
a  system  of  conduits  and  installing  a  gas  motor  would  be  $2,000.00 
more.  Now,  one  has  to  live  at  least  six  years  without  expecting  any 
income  from  the  grove.  Trees  only  yield  fruit  after  the  sixth  year, 
and  one  must  be  provided  for  that  length  of  time  with  all  the  necessi¬ 
ties  of  farm  life : — a  house,  a  barn,  implements,  cattle,  horses  and  pay 
for  labor.”10 

From  other  remarks,  we  learned  that  out  of  the  23.837  D.  land. 
Petach  Tikvah  possesses,  5,230  D.,  is  planted  with  oranges,  5,290  D. 
with  other  fruit  trees,  5,000  D.  land  with  various  grain  and  the  balance 
is  pasture  land. 

The  budget  for  local  purposes  amounts  to  85,000  Frcs.  ($17,000.00), 
out  of  which  30,000  Frcs.  ($6,000.00),  is  paid  to  wtachmen  (Shomerim) 
per  year.  The  population  of  Petach  Tikvah  is  about  2,500. 

The  appearance  of  Petach  Tikvah  is  that  of  a  garden  city  rather 
than  of  a  village.  Many  streets  run  through  the  colony.  It  has  thirty- 
five  stores  and  two  hotels. 

The  valuation  of  land  went  up  from  500  per  cent,  to  800  per  cent., 
of  the  previous  values,  and  the  Ottoman  government  realizing  the 


14  This  grove  has  about  600  D.  planted  with  oranges  and  other  fruits. 


176 


NEW  JUDEA 


greatly  increased  land  value  of  Petach  Tikvah  property,  raised  the  taxes 
to  80,000  Frcs.  ($16,000.00)  per  year.  About  7,000  tons  of  freight  are 
carried  every  year  to  Jaffa,  the  cost  of  transportation  amounting  to 
$32,000.00,  in  addition  to  passenger  transportation,  which  amounts  to 
nearly  as  much.  Seven  diligences  run  every  day  to  Jaffa  and  back 
with  passengers.  In  view  of  the  heavy  traffic  the  city  council  is  con¬ 
sidering  the  operation  of  an  electric  tramway  to  Jaffa. 

Until  recently  Arabic  labor  operated  the  fields  of  Petach  Tikvah, 
but  now  Jewish  laborers  from  Russia  and  Yemen  are  gradually  dis¬ 
placing  the  Arabs.  The  land  owners  are  beginning  to  realize  that 
Jewish  working  men  are  quicker,  more  reliable,  and  their  labor  is 
worth  twice  as  much.  The  chief  reason  for  former  antipathy  to  Jewish 
labor,  as  given  by  one  of  the  Jewish  employers,  is,  because  the  Arab 
is  more  subservient  to  the  boss  planter  than  the  Jew;  and  because 
the  employer  has  to  treat  the  Jew  with  more  respect  than  the  Arab 
laborer.  The  guardianship  of  the  colony  was  also  of  late  taken  away 
from  the  Arabs  and  given  to  Jewish  Shomerim;  Abraham  Shapiro,  who 
has  the  safety  of  the  colony  in  his  hands,  is  well  known  among  Arabs 
and  is  friendly  with  the  Beduin  Sheikhs  and  popular  in  government 
circles. 

The  town  is  governed  by  a  vaad.11  Every  year  a  Vaad  of  seven 
is  chosen  at  a  general  election.  Property  owners  and  residents  that 
have  lived  in  the  colony  three  years  and  have  paid  their  poll  tax  are 
entitled  to  vote. 


SCHOOL  SYSTEM 

Of  the  many  schools  and  “hedarim,”  two  are  considered  the  best: 
the  Talmud  Torah — supported  by  a  Frankfurt  organization,  and  the 
modern  school.  The  first  was  recently  founded  to  counteract  the  ef¬ 
fect  of  the  “modern  school”  which  has  the  reputation  among  the  ultra¬ 
orthodox  of  being  not  quite  up  to  the  standard  of  their  religious  views. 
The  program  of  the  Talmud  Torah  differs  from  the  so-called  “modern 
school”  in  that  it  does  not  admit  girls  in  the  boys’  class-room,  in  using 
the  Ashkenazic  pronunciation  of  the  Hebrew  language,  in  having  on  its 
curriculum  the  study  of  the  Talmud  and  its  commentaries,  and  in  making 
the  daily  prayers  obligatory  in  the  class-room. 

The  subjects  taught  in  the  modern  school  are  arithmetic,  history. 


11  Equivalent  to  our  commission  form  of  government. 


PETACH  TIKVAH 


177 


geography,  physics,  Hebrew  grammar,  Arabic  language,  the  Bible,  re¬ 
ligious  customs,  laws,  the  Prayer  Book  and  Hagadah,  but  the  school 
does  not  consider  the  study  of  the  Talmud  (Halachah)  and  the  codes 
necessary  for  agriculturists. 

Recently  the  Orphan  Asylum  established  by  the  Frankfurt  So¬ 
ciety  in  Jerusalem,  under  the  management  of  Dr.  Grunhut,  moved 
to  Petach  Tikvah.  The  “Verein  Zur  Erziehung  Judischer  Weisen  in 
Palastina”  is  doing  its  best  to  support  that  worthy  institution. 

An  agricultural  college  was  established  some  years  ago  in  Petach 

Tikvah  with  a  comprehensive  four  years’  course,  including  an  academic 
department. 

The  two  daughter  colonies  of  Petach  Tikvah  are  Yehudiya  (El  Ye- 
hud)  and  Ain  Ganim  (Fedja).  Yehudiya  was  founded  with  the  purpose 
of  eliminating  the  injurious  effect  of  the  uninviting  climate  that  existed 
in  the  mother  colony.  But  the  plan  of  locating  the  houses  of  Petach 
Tikvah  here  was  a  great  mistake,  as  it  was  too  far,  and  a  tedious  journey 
for  those  that  have  to  work  in  Petach  Tikvah.  El  Yehudiya  was  soon 
abandoned  and  its  houses  are  now  vacant.  The  soil  is  planted  with 
almonds.  The  other  colony,  Ain  Ganim  (Fedja),  founded  by  the  Odessa 
Commitee,  is  only  a  twenty-minute  walk  from  the  mother  colony,  con¬ 
sists  of  about  thirty-five  families,  living  in  as  many  houses,  and  the 
population  is  150.  Each  cottage  has  a  vegetable  garden  around  it.  The 
surplus  they  sell  in  the  larger  colony  and  in  Jaffa.  The  inhabitants 
mostly  work  in  the  mother  colony.  In  1892  iseven  thousand  D.  land 
was  also  bought  near  Kafr  Saba  and  planted  with  almonds  and  eucalyp¬ 
tus  trees-  It  is  hoped  that  in  a  few  years  Petach  Tikvah  will  produce 
400,000  kilo  of  almonds. 

Among  other  institutions  may  be  mentioned  the  David  and  Fanny 
Wolfson  houses,  built  for  Jewish  workingmen  by  the  late  Zionist  leader, 
the  thirty  houses  built  by  Mr.  Heilplern  (of  Kiev,  many  houses  built  by 
philanthropists  or  philanthropic  societies  for  the  Yemenite  Jews,  and 
a  large  building  (the  club),  lately  erected  by  the  Jewish  National  Fund, 
for  workingmen.12 

With  the  founding  of  Petach  Tikvah  begins  the  history  of  practi¬ 
cal  Jewish  colonization  of  Palestine.  It  is  significant  that  the  begin¬ 
ning  of  Jewish  agricultural  work  should  start  in  the  very  city  whose 
destruction  had  made  an  end  to  such  pursuits  for  nearly  two  thousand 

12  The  building  contains  sleeping  rooms  for  unmarried  people,  dining  halls,  reading 
rooms,  a  library,  a  gymnasium,  a  work  room  and  a  play  room. 


178 


NEW  JUDEA 


years,  and  that  the  first  efforts  at  bringing  back  the  Jew  to  till  the  soil 
of  his  ancestors  should  come  from  an  element  that  came  to  Jerusalem 
to  pray  on  the  ruins  of  its  lost  glory,  and  not  to  live  on  the  product  of 
the  soil. 

It  was  in  1878  that  the  idea  of  agricultural  colonization  of  Palestine 
was  brought  to  the  attention  of  the  Jewish  public  of  Jerusalem  by  Jew¬ 
ish  and  Chrisian  Zionists  (among  whom  were  Sir  Moses  Montefiore, 
Rabbis  Hirsh  Kalischer  and  Elijah  Gutmacher  and  two  English  diplo¬ 
mats,  Laurence  Oliphant  and  the  Earl  of  Shaftsbury).  An  organiza¬ 
tion  was  formed  in  Jerusalem,  at  the  head  of  which  were  the  Ashkenazic 
Rabbi  Mayer  Auerbach,  ben-Zion  Leon,  and  Joel  M.  Solomon.  Their 
first  effort  was  to  secure  a  tract  of  crown  land  available  on  the  Jordan 
plain  near  Jericho,  but  owing  to  the  Russian-Turkish  War  it  was  diffi¬ 
cult  to  get  title  from  the  government  and  they  had  to  turn  their  atten¬ 
tion  of  the  Arabic  village,  Omlebbis  or  Mulebis  (sweet),  (probably  the 
Baalath  of  Joshua,1)  situated  on  the  road  to  Nablus  along  the  river 
Aujeh  (Jarkon).2  It  is  in  the  seventh  division  of  the  land  which  fell  to 
the  lot  of  Dan,  and  is  located  about  eight  miles  from  Jaffa  and  the  same 
distance  from  the  sea. 

They  purchased  767  acres  of  land  (3284-D)  of  that  village.  Its 
great  advantage  was  its  proximity  to  running  water.  In  ancient  days 
it  was  considered  the  best  land  in  Judea.  Many  artificial  canals  leading 
from  the  Jarkon  to  the  villages  and  private  farms  made  the  entire  dis¬ 
trict  very  productive,  but  owing  to  thousands  of  years  of  devastating 
ruin,  bad  government  and  neglect  these  canals  were  gradually  filled 
with  all  sorts  of  material  and  refuse  from  the  surrounding  villages, 
resulting  in  disease-producing  marshes  and  foul  swamps.  The  Jarkon 
also,  which  was  in  olden  times  a  blesing  to  the  village  miles  around, 
supplying  fresh  running  water  in  abundance,  was  now  reduced  in  size 
and  limited  in  its  usefulness.  Uncivilized  natives  had  used  it  as  a  dump¬ 
ing  ground  for  stones,  dirt  and  other  material.  Nature  had  done  its 
own  part  to  minimize  its  use  by  blowing  for  two  thousand  years  into 
the  river  the  sand  from  the  coast.  The  water  was  further  deteriorated 
by  the  action  of  the  villagers  of  Midjal  Shadik  and  Antipatris,  where 
the  river  has  its  origin.  These  had  for  many  centuries  deposited  their 
refuse  therein,  to  be  carried  away  by  the  stream.  The  river,  therefore, 
became  a  hot  bed  for  all  sorts  of  germs,  particularly  the  parasites  of 


1 19 :  44. 

J  Jos.  19  :  46. 


PETACH  TIKVAH 


179 


malaria.  These  would-be  colonies  never  considered  the  changed  condi¬ 
tion  of  the  locality  and  were  contented  with  its  Biblical  reputation. 

On  a  lot  somewhat  elevated  near  the  Aujeh  a  house  was  erected 
for  the  male  members  of  the  twenty-four  families  that  composed  the 
original  settlers,  the  women  and  children  remaining  in  Jerusalem.  With 
the  help  of  some  Arab  laborers  they  began  to  cultivate  their  land.  The 
first  harvest  was  attended  with  success.  Indeed,  when  the  first  fruit 
of  their  labor  packed  in  bags  marked  “Petach  Tikvah,”  reached  Jeru¬ 
salem,  there  was  a  general  jollification;  they  were  envied  by  friends 
and  enemies  alike,  and  it  started  a  land  boom  in  Petach  Tikvah.  Every¬ 
one  who  could  raise  some  money  desired  to  be  a  farmer.  The  ques¬ 
tion  of  fitness  never  entered  their  minds.  A  new  land  development 
company  was  organized  and  got  an  option  of  8300  D.  land  from  a  Greek 
named  Taian.  The  land  was  divided  into  lots  and  was  sold  at  620  fr. 
($124)  per  lot- 

In  1880  the  new  colonists  took  possession  of  their  property,  and  they 
began  to  plough,  to  sow  and  plant  without  having'  been  provided  with 
a  place  of  shelter.  They  had  to  rest  on  the  bare  ground  or  in  caverns  to 
protect  themselves  from  the  heat  of  the  summer,  and  the  rain,  cold  or 
snow  of  the  winter.  Their  love  for  the  land  made  them  forget  bodily 
discomfort.  When  the  first  winter  passed  they  commenced  to  build 
houses,  but  for  want  of  financial  backing  they  were  compelled  to  use  soft, 
sunburnt  bricks  and  cobblestones  as  building  material.  The  first  rain 
came,  the  bricks  softened,  their  huts  gave  way  and  collapsed  and  their 
houses  were  transformed  into  graves.  Only  five  houses,  built  of  good 
materials,  remained.  In  the  meantime  the  polluted  river  and  the  dis¬ 
eased  marshes  brought  on  an  epidemic  of  a  most  severe  type.  A  per¬ 
nicious  form  of  malaria  broke  out  and  carried  away  many  of  the  would- 
be  colonists  and  members  of  their  families.  Those  whom  disease  and 
misfortune  spared  returned  to  their  old  homes  in  Jerusalem.  The  few 
that  were  left  had  before  them  another  serious  problem.  The  Sabbatical 
year  (1882),  wherein  every  Jew  is  obliged  to  give  rest  to  his  land  had  ar¬ 
rived.  They  therefore  had  nothing  to  do,  but  return  to  their  old  homes  in 
the  Holy  City.  In  the  meantime  neighboring  Arabs,  discovering  that  there 
was  no  one  to  take  care  ofl  the  grounds  and  houses,  came  into  the  vil¬ 
lage,  destroyed  the  remaining  property,  carried  off  anything  they  could 
use  and  almost  made  an  end  to  the  first  efforts  at  colonization.  Indeed 
it  was  providential  that  Petach  Tikvah  was  restored  to  life.  In  spite  of 
trouble,  misfortune,  failure  and  death,  there  were  found  in  Jerusalem  a 


180 


NEW  JUDEA 


few  idealists  who  wouldn’t  yield  to  “outrageous  fortune.” 
David  Guttman,  Joel  M.  Solomon  and  Y.  M.  Pines,  worked 
tirelessly  to  revive  sentiment  for  the  colony,  and  were  successful  in  in¬ 
teresting  the  late  Rabbi  Dr.  Israel  Hildesheimer  and  Rabbi  Dr.  Leh¬ 
man,  of  Germany.  They  sent  over  the  Hebrew  journalist  and  Maskil  M. 
Frumkin,  who  took  over  915  D..  land  from  the  ex-colonists  and  settled 
there  a  number  of  men  accustomed  to  farm  work.  He  also  secured  180 
D.  new  land  from  the  neighboring  village,  El  Yehud12.  On  this  land 
were  sixteen  vineyards.  He  named  it  Moshab1  Yehudim  (Jewish  Settle¬ 
ment).  It  took  almost  a  year  to  find  water  on  the  hill  of  El  Yehud.  They 
had  to  dig  150  feet  deep  before  water  was  discovered,  and  some  of  the 
early  settlers  recall  with  delight  the  dedication  of  the  new  well  in  the 
summer  of  1883.  In  the  same  year  a  group  of  Jews  from  Bialostock,  in 
Russia,  fleeing  from  persecution,  bought  40%  of  the  land  left  by  those 
who  had  failed  in  their  attempts,  and  then  established  themselves  there. 
They  began  building  houses.  They  constructed  a  synagogue,  a  public 
bath  and  a  Beth  Am.  A  drug  store  was  opened,  a  physician  was 
secured,  a  shochet,  who  also  occupied  the  position  of  teacher,  was  en¬ 
gaged,  and  soon  Petach  Tikvah  assumed  the  appearance  of  a  Jewish 
community.  The  following  winter  they  engaged  the  services  of  an  agri¬ 
cultural  expert,  who  instructed  them  in  the  art  and  science  of  farming. 
The  population  grew  to  124  inhabitants,  among  whom  were  thirty-four 
workingmen  living  there  and  sixteen  day  laborers  who  camei  there  from 
neighboring  places. 

New  life  was  also  instilled  into  the  settlement  by  the  interest  of  Emil 
Lachman,  of  Berlin,  a  fervent  Jew  and  ardent  lover  of  Zion, — who  also 
purchased  a  part  of  the  deserted  land  and  planted  a  large  orange  grove 
and  a  vineyard  on  it.  He  established  many  new  families  on  his  estate 
who  were  trained  as  planters,  and  was  one  of  the  first  to  introduce  the 
cultivation  of  oranges  in  the  colony.  The  example  set  by  Herr  Lach¬ 
man  was  soon  followed  by  the  Russian  Hoveve  Zion,  who  contrib¬ 
uted  much  to  its  development.  They  built  eighteen  houses  for  the  set¬ 
tlers  on  higher  and  more  sanitary  ground.  By  far  the  greatest  impetus 
given  to  the  development  of  Petach  Tikvah  was  in  1887,  when  the  inter¬ 
est  of  Baron  Edmund  de  Rothschild  was  won  to  the  movement.  On  a 
tract  of  land  purchased  he  planted  a  vineyard  and  established  twenty- 
eight  Jewish  families.  Eighty  more,  who  lived  in  the  daughter  colonies, 
but  whose  farms  were  not  large  enough  to  maintain  them,  found  work 


4  Josh.  19:  25. 


PETACH  TIKVAH 


181 


in  Rothschild’s  vineyard.  The  planting  of  Eucalypus  trees  along  the 
Jarkon  and  marshes  had  also  its  beneficial  results.  It  practically 
stamped  out  the  scourge  of  malaria  and  thus  stimulated  the  ingress  of 
people  to  the  settlement.  Thus  Petach  Tikvah  became  a  place  where 
workingmen  were  needed,  and  grew  to  be,  as  it  is  still,  the  largest  agri¬ 
cultural  settlement  in  Palestine. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 


ZICHRON  JAACOB  (ZAMARIN) 

On  a  fertile  plateau  rising  four  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
sea,  and  forming  the  lower  spurs  of  the  Carmel  range,  the  Central  Jewish 
Colonization  Association  of  Roumania  obtained  title  in  1882  to  one  thou¬ 
sand  acres  of  arable  and  pasture  land.  The  land  was  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  village  Gumarin,  and  the  sale  included  several  primitive  dwellings 
and  a  large  barn.  It  was  bought  for  a  group  of  Roumanian  Jews,  who 
were  obliged  to  leave  the  country  of  their  adoption  in  consequence  of 
oppression  and  legal  disabilities,  and  who  resolved  to  change  their  habits 
of  life  from  traders  to  tillers  of  the  soil. 

My  desire  to  visit  that  settlement  arose  from  curiosity  to  see  an 
agricultural  colony  operated  by  Jews  of  a  different  country  than  the  col¬ 
onies  we  had  seen  thus  far,  and  on  a  fine  Friday  morning  we  left  Petach 
Tikvah  to  stay  over  Sabbath  in  the  Roumanian  Jewish  Settlement. 

It  is  a  long  and  tiresome  road.  No  Jewish  village  exists  through 
the  entire  distance  of  eight  hours’  travel  and  no  regular  diligence  service 
can  be  obtained  in  this  direction.  We,  therefore,  had  to  make  arrange¬ 
ments  with  a  Jewish  liveryman  to  take  us  over  to  our  destination. 

Leaving  Petach  Tikvah  we  stopped  for  a  few  minutes  at  the  large 
bayareh,  located  on  the  “Jarkon,”  whence  the  grove  receives  its  water 
supply.* 


THE  SHARON. 

Traversing  the  fertile  plain  of  Sharon — which  extends  the  entire 
way  from  Jaffa  to  the  Carmel — we  passed  large  tracts  of  fine  territory 
and  numerous  historic  cities.  Villages  surrounded  by  vineyards  and 
primitive  looking  beehives  were  observed.  Fellahin  were  busy  at  their 
luxurious  grainfields  and  native  shepherds  watched  over  their  large 
flocks,  consisting  mostly  of  sheep. 

♦Some  years  ago  the  government  was  requested  to  permit  to  utilize  the  water  power  of 
the  Aujeh  for  the  generation  of  electricity.  Of  course  the  government  turned  down  the 
request.  The  irrigation  of  many  groves  with  the  water  of  the  Aujeh,  where  the  Jewdsh  Irriga¬ 
tion  Company  has  a  few  years  ago  installed  a  gas-motor  of  eighty  horse  power,  to  supply 
water  to  the  plantations,  was  a  great  money  saving  enterprise  to  the  colonies  of  Petach 
Tikvah;  it  is  estimated  that  the  Aujeh,  if  properly  developed,  may  supply  irrigation  for  600,- 
000  D  land,  or  an  area  of  twenty  times  as  large  as  the  groves  of  Petach  Tikvah. 

182 


THE  ZICHRON  JACOB 


182 


A  CARAVAN  ROAD. 

In  ancient  times  this  was  the  great  caravan  road  from  Egypt  to  the 
East.  The  Philistines  who  inhabited  this  territory  were  in  frequent 
touch  with  other  nations,  such  as  Egypt,  Babylon,  Phoenicia  and  Syria. 
Its  inhabitants  were  subjected  to  continual  fluctuation  and  were  fre¬ 
quently  in  the  hands  of  foreign  powers.  The  openness  of  Sharon  to  the 
world  made  it  the  battlefield  of  great  armies  in  their  historic  campaigns 
and  prevented  a  strong  national  development  among  the  inhabitants. 
Lack  of  natural  harbors  along  the  coast  hindered  their  growth  as  a  com¬ 
mercial  and  enterprising  people.  One  cannot  pass  this  territory  without 
being  impressed  with  the  difference  between  this  coast  and  that  further 
north — Phoenicia — and  with  the  fact  that  the  character  of  a  people  is  in¬ 
fluenced  by  geographical  conditions. 

It  is  not  a  mere  incident  that  “Naioth”  was  the  house  of  the  Proph¬ 
ets.  It  was  not  fortuity  that  the  Philistines  never  grew  prominent  as  a 
nation  and  it  was  not  a  mere  chance  that 'the  Phoenicians  rose  to  great 
prominence. 

Among  its  lofty  mountains,  where  no  hostile  army  could  penetrate, 
the  inhabitants  of  Phoenicia,  safe  from  attack  and  foreign  influence,  were 
enabled  to  develop  strong  national  characteristics,  and  their  natural  har¬ 
bors  aroused  in  them  a  love  for  navigation,  through  which  they  spread 
civilization  abroad.  They  became  the  inventors  of  phonetic  script  and 
the  pioneers  in  the  field  of  literature.  But  this  worldliness  was  not  with¬ 
out  its  drawbacks.  Coming  into  contact  with  the  outside  world,  they 
were  ready  to  tolerate  new  gods.  Religion  never  prevented  them  from 
enjoying  the  attractions  of  the  world.  They  believed  that  a  bright  view 
of  life  would  influence  posterity  more  than  the  secluded  activities  of  their 
neighboring  Jew,  who  feared  the  sea,  and  confined  his  callings  to  a  quiet 
agricultural  and  pastoral  life.  They  could  never  imagine  that  the  Jew  in 
his  secluded  mountains  was  gathering  thoughts  and  ideals  for  all  times, 
and  that  he  would  some  day  emerge  from  the  narrow  sphere  of  Judea  toj 
teach  the  world  religion,  ethics  and  law;  while  they,  the  greatest  sea¬ 
farers  in  history,  the  standard  bearers  of  civilization,  will  some  day  be 
swallowed  in  the  sea  of  historic  nations. 

While  so  meditating  our  attention  was  directed  to  the  ruins  of  Ras- 
el  Ain,  the  ancient  Antipatris,  a  city  built  by  Herod  in  honor  of  his: 
father,  Antipater.  The  mound  where  the  ruins  were  seen  was  covered 
with  heaps  of  stones,  broken  columns  and  chiseled  blocks  of  rocks,  half 


184 


NEW  JUDEA 


buried  amongst  flowers  and  weed.  A  medieval  castle,  the  “Mirabel,” 
■erected  by  the  Crusaders,  stands  on  a  great  mound  nearby,  and  its  outer 
walls  appear  to  be  perfect. 

Further  north  we  passed  Kefr  Saba1 2,  where  Alexander  Jannai  of  the 
Hasmonean  line  built  a  fortification  as  a  protection  against  the  Syrians, 
and  close  by  is  the  land  purchased  recently  by  some  colonists  of  Petach 
Tikvah  with  the  intention  of  founding  a  new  Jewish  settlement. 

In  about  two  hours  we  reached  the  ruins  of  Arsuf,  or  the  ancient 
Apollonia.3  The  modern  name  has  some  connection  with  the  god 
Resheph,  who  has  been  identified  with  Apollo.  The  ruins  of  Arsuf  date 
back  to  the  days  of  the  Crusaders-  The  place  is  also  famous  for  the 
battles  fought  in  1191/  between  Richard  Coeur  de  Lion  and  Saladin. 

We  next  arrived  in  Tul  Kerem,  a  county  seat,  where  the  “Kamai- 
Fam”  (a  district  officer)  is  located.  As,  however,  we  were  told  that  for¬ 
eigners  were  not  tolerated  there  we  passed  on  to  the  next  village,  Kakun, 
where  we  stopped  at  the  Khan.  We  dined  there  on  vegetables,  fresh 
fruits  purchased  from  the  natives,  bread  we  had  taken  along  from  Petach 
Tikvah,  and  a  demi-tasse  of  coffee,  served  by  the  proprietor  of  the  Khan. 
Traveling  from  here,  about  an  hour  in  a  northwesterly  direction,  we 
passed  through  a  tangle  of  shrubs,  such  as  oleanders,  hawthorns,  arbutus 
and  rue,  and  came  upon  Nahr  el-Falik.  The  marshes  of  El-Falik  are 
lined  with  Syrian  papyrus  reeds.  (Note  n.) 

Here  we  saw  camels  loaded  with  cabbage  and  watermelons  for 
the  market;  also  veiled  women,  with  baskets  of  fruit  on  their  heads, 
walking  erect  and  giving  us  the  usual  greeting,  “Marhaba  Habibi.” 

Suddenly  the  road  turned  sharply  and  ended  in  an  uphill  land  where 
the  horses  stumbled  over  a  mass  of  loose  round  stones  at  almost  every 
step.  We  walked  up  a  part  of  the  hill,  trying  to  help  the  horses  climb 
over  the  mass  of  stones.  There  was  no  wind  and  the  stones  underfoot 
*were  almost  as  hot  as  the  sun  overhead.  The  entrance  to  Zichron 
Jacob  was  tiring  and  disappointing.  We  could  not  think  of  any  reason 
why  these  stones  that  blocked  the  entrance  to  the  colony  could  not  be 
cleared  away  and  it  impressed  us  as  unjustifiable  negligence  on  the  part 
.of  the  villagers. 

When  we  reached  the  top  of  the  hill  we  sighed,  with  great  relief. 
We  took  off  our  helmets  to  allow  the  breeze  to  blow  through  our  matted 
hair,  and  gulped  in  deep  breaths  of  clear  and  refreshing  mountain  air. 

1  The  credit  for  the  discovery  of  Antipatris  is  due  to  Conder.  P.  E.  F.  Mem.  11,  258  FF. 

1  Jos.  Ant.  XVI:  5-2. 

3  Jos.  Ant.  XIII:  14-4.  > 


THE  ZICHRON  JACOB 


185j 


The  sun  was  setting  between  the  sea  and  the  sky  by  the  time  we  reached 
Zichron  Jacob.  Over  our  heads  small  feathery  clouds  were  floating 
gently  east  from  the  sea  through  the  dark,  rich  blue  of  the  Palestinian, 
sky.  Among  the  rocks  at  the  top  of  the  hill  bright  colored  flowers,  ole¬ 
anders,  cactus,  shrubs  and  scrub  oaks  made  a  beautiful  display.  Upon 
the  terraced  slopes  grape  trees  were  prospering,  and  from  amidst  the 
green  vineyards  the  silver-leaved  olive  tree,  a  symbol  of  peace  and  pros¬ 
perity,  beckoned  us  to  notice  him.  The  mountains  were  interspersed 
with  verdant  fields,  and  on  the  spurs  of  the  hills,  which  projected  into* 
the  valley,  clusters  of  tiny  gray  white  houses  were  in  view — the  daughter 
colonies  Marah  and  Bath  Shelomo.  Haughty  and  whispering  stood  the 
Eucalyptus  tree,  as  a  vanguard  of  the  New  Jewish  Civilization,  the  Jew 
returned  to  a  land  of  desolation,  and  brought  along  with  him  from  far 
Australia  this  tree  to  purify  the  marshy  air.  Indeed,  the  view  of  the  en¬ 
virons  of  Zichron  Jacob,  as  seen  from  that  village  is  fascinating. 

The  colonists  in  their  peasant  garb  were  hurrying  from  every  direc¬ 
tion  to  receive  the  Sabbath,  and  while  passing  us  they  greeted  us  with 
a  quick  “Shalom,”  conveying  the  impression  that  they  were  late.  We- 
stopped  at  the  modest  little  Hotel  “Graff,”  where  we  quickly  changed 
our  clothes  and  made  our  way  towards  the  picturesque  little  synagogue. 
An  air  of  holiness  reigned  over  the  village.  The  street  was  clean,  the 
male  members,  in  their  Sabbath  garments,  were  pacing  toward  the  syna¬ 
gogue.  The  women  folks  were  sitting  on  their  verandas  or  in  front  of 
their  cottages,  in  holiday  attire,  receiving  the  day  of  rest,  and  the  chil¬ 
dren,  all  dressed  up,  were  running  to  the  synagogue,  which  is  the  “Corso” 
of  the  village. 

We  found  the  little  Synagogue  crowded  with  worshippers.  Thej 
Chazan,  Mr.  Shub,  whom  we  had  met  in  the  “States”  two  years  previ¬ 
ously,  chanted  the  “Lecho  Dodi”  hymn  in  an  impressive  [and  musical 
manner,  and  the!  congregation  repeated  very  decorously  the  verses  in  the 
ritual.  When  the  services  were  over  Mr.  Shub  introduced  us  to  many 
of  the  congregation,  by  whom  we  were  greeted  with  “Sabbath  Sholom” 
(a  peaceful  Sabbath.)  We  then  retired  to  the  hotel  to  partake  of  our 
first  Sabbath  meal  in  a  Jewish  colony.  After  supper  Mr.  Shub  and  others 
took  us  for  a  stroll  through  the  village. 

The  air  was  balmy,  a  cool  breeze  blew  from  the  sea.  The  full-grown 
trees  on  the  side  of  the  avenue,  whose  branches  approached  each  other,, 
added  much  grace  to  the  general  atmosphere.  The  songs  of  Sabbath  eve 
came  ringing  through  the  open  windows  of  numerous  cottages.  Sweet 


186 


NEW  JUDEA 


and  strange  was  the  music  in  the  pensive  silence  of  Old  Palestine,  and 
our  hearts  beat  high  as  we  took  part  in  the  chorus  of  “Yoh  Ribbon 
Olam”  (Zemiroth  for  Sabbath  eve.) 

We  were  on  the  white  roadfbuilt  by  the  colonists,  on  both  sides  of 
which  thick  hedges  of  acasia  (Shittim  in  Hebrew),  threw  a  shadow. 
Their  little  blossoms  of  golden  hue  tinctured  the  air  with  sweet  perfume. 
The  long  village  street  was  gradually  filled  with  young  folks  walking 
under  the  branches,  hushed  in  Sabbath  repose.  We  came  to  the  village 
garden  (Pardes  Hamoshabah),  planted  with  great  care,  at  the  instance  of 
the  “Baron,”  where  a  large  variety  of  flowers  and  tropical  plants,  ar¬ 
ranged  in  fine  order,  bloom,  and  we  paused  at  the  fountain  to  listen  to 
the  interesting  stories  told  by  one  of  the  pioneer  colonists. 

Tired  and  drunk  with  the  exhilarating  perfumes  of  this  beautiful 
park  we  returned  to  the  inn  to  take  a  much-needed  rest.  But  that  rest 
I  did  not  get,  for  on  our  arrival  at  the  hotel  I  found  a  colonist  of  Hederah 
waiting  for  me  to  go  with  him  to  see  a  patient  there.  Dr.  H.  Jaffa,  the 
physician  who  gives  medical  aid  also  to  Hederah  when  required,  was 
away  in  Switzerland  in  search  of  health  for  himself.  He  left  the  two 
colonies  in  chrge  of  Dr.  E.,  who  asked  me  to  see  the  patient  with  him 
in  Hederah. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


HEDERAH 

In  an  open  carriage,  drawn  by  two  horses,  we  left  Zichron  at  ten 
o’clock  in  the  evening.  In  front  of  our  vehicle  the  colonists  were  galloping 
on  horseback  to  keep  track  of  the  road,  which,  winding  all  the  way  through 
is  very  confusing,  even  in  the  daytime,  and  to  keep  watch  against 
marauding  natives,  who  frequently  lie  in  wait  on  the  roadside  for  trav¬ 
elers.  Many  tourists  have  been  robbed  in  this  neighborhood.  In  about 
three  hours  we  heard  two  shots  fired  in  the  air  and  in  a  few  minutes  the 
echo  of  three  shots  from  a  distance  reached  us.  Our  driver  explained 
that  these  were  an  exchange  of  signals  between  our  guide  and  the  Sho- 
mer  and  that  we  were  within  a  short  distance  of  the  colony. 

We  passed  through  the  first  eucalyptus  forest  and  emerged  into  the 
second  forest  that  surrounded  the  city,  and  we  halted  abou  one  o’clock 
in  the  morning  at  a  one-story  stone  house  on  the  edge  of  the  forest,  con¬ 
cealed  and  darkened  by  many  trees.  With  the  aid  of  a  lantern  we  en¬ 
tered  a  large,  poorly  furnished  room,  dimly  lighted  by  an  oil  lamp.  At 
one  side  of  the  room  was  a  large  bed,  screened  off  with  mosquito  net¬ 
ting;  in  it  lay  a  girl  of  about  six  years,  apparently  very  ill,  and  around 
the  bed  were  some  women  watching  over  the  patient  with  eyes  congested 
from  continuous  weeping.  The  little  girl  was  lying  on  her  back  with 
both  eyes  open,  her  face  flushed  and  her  mind  was  wandering  in  delirium. 
She  spoke  incoherently,  presenting  hallucinations  of  fiery  castles  she  had 
seen  through  the  window,  and  asked  in  Hebrew  to  be  taken  to  “Midgal 
Eish”  (fiery  castle). 

I  was  pained  to  see  the  poor  mother,  from  whom  I  had  learned 
that  she  had  lost  a  child  in  a  similar  manner,  guarding  over  the  life  of  a 
second  child  in  despair.  But  I  felt  most  deeply  touched  when  I  heard  the 
poor  child,  in  her  delirium,  mutter  incessantly  in  the  language  of  Mose6 
and  Isaiah,  and  I  unconsciously  uttered,  “Od  lo  Ovdo  Tikvosenu”  (our 
hope  is  not  lost).  Continuing: 

“While  within  a  Jewish  breast  beats  a  Jewish  heart, 

And  Jewish  glances  turning  east  to  Zion  fondly  dart, 

O  then  our  hope  is  not  lost.”1 


1  Hatikvah,  by  Naphthali  Herz  Imber. 


187 


188 


NEW  JUDEA 


I  was  so  impressed  with  my  Hebraic  patient  that  for  the 
moment  I  forgot  my  mission  and,  turning  to  the  mother,  I  continued: 
“If  our  language  that  was  dead,  to  all  practical  purposes,  could  be 
brought  to  life  by  the  lips  of  your  dear  child,  then  your  daughter  must 
recover.” 

I  was  at  the  bedside  of  little  Jardenah  until  the  first  rays  of  the  sun 
penetrated  through  the  forest  into  the  sick  room  window.  When  I  left 
the  patient  was  sleeping  quietly. 

When  I  emerged  into  the  village  I  found  the  street  swarming  with 
cattle  ready  to  leave  for  the  pasture.  Many  belated  husbandmen  were 
driving  their  cattle  to  the  centre  of  the  street,  where  the  flock  was  wait¬ 
ing  to  leave.  Amongst  these  early  risers  I  met  an  old  friend  of  mine 
whom  I  had  not  seen  for  twenty-five  years  and  who  was  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  colony.  I  accompanied  him  to  his  home,  where  we  had 
an  early  breakfast,  and  started  on  an  inspection  tour. 

The  most  interesting  place  in  an  agricultural  colony  during  harvest 
is  the  threshing  floor,  and  my  friend  conducted  me  first  to  that  floor, 
which  is  the  largest  in  Judea.  Numerous  stacks  of  reaped  grain,  like 
huge  pyramids,  were  scattered  about  that  extensive  floor,  consisting  of 
wheat,  barley,  oats,  durah,  sesame  and  turmar.  The  “Goren”  was  quiet 
that  day,  as  it  was  Sabbath,  the  great  day  of  rest  in  the  colonies.  Only 
two  Jewish  Shomerim  were  there  lounging  on  a  pile  of  “teben”  and  read¬ 
ing.  I  was  curious  to  know  the  kind  of  literature  a  Jewish  watchman 
would  be  interested  in,  and,  to  my  surprise,  I  found  one  absorbed  in  the 
philosophical  essays  of  Ahad  Haam,  “A1  Parashath  Drachim”  (At  the 
Parting  of  the  Ways),  and  the  other  was  reading  Smolenskin’s  “Am 
Olam”  (The  Eternal  People). 

“If  these  are  a  specimen  of  Israel’s  guardians  in  New  Judea,”  I 
thought  to  myself,  “the  future  of  Judea  is  well  guarded.”  We  accom¬ 
panied  the  two  Shomerim  to  their  tent,  at  the  extreme  end  of  the  thresh¬ 
ing  floor,  facing  the  eucalpytus  forest,  where  I  enjoyed  an  interesting 
conversation  with  my  philosophical  sentinels.  The  tent  of  the  Shomerim 
consisted  of  a  small  elevated  hut  without  windows  and  covered  on  the 
top  with  branches  of  various  trees  for  protection  from  the  sun  and  to 
allow  air  to  enter.  Inside  the  tent  presented  the  appearance  of  an  old  curi¬ 
osity  shop.  The  furniture  consisted  of  a  primitive  bed,  a  rude  table  and 


DAVID  S  TOMB  ON  MOUNT  ZION 


And  David  slept  with  his  fathers  and  was  buried  in  the  city  of  David.” — I  Kings 
2:10.  “The  stronghold  of  Zion:  the  same  is  the  city  of  David.” — 2  Sam.  5:7.  This 
interesting  place  is  on  the  south  side  of  Jerusalem,  outside  Mount  Zion  Gate, 
and  is  without  doubt  authentic. 

(See  Pages  133-34-35) 


THE  SLOPES  OF  THE  TYROPEAN  VALLEY,  JERUSALEM 
The  Tyropean  valley,  on  the  south  side  of  Jerusalem,  is  not  mentioned  in  the 
Old  Testament.  In  ancient  times  it  was  inside  the  city  walls,  and  separated 
one  part  of  the  city  from  the  other.  It  is  now  full  of  debris  and  overgrown  with 
cactus.  Some  parts  of  it  are  cultivated. 


(See  Page  -122) 


THE  JORDAN 


(See  Page  223) 


THE  COLONY  EKRON 


(See  Page  83) 


HEDERAH 


189 


a  rough  bench.  One  wall  had  a  large  display  of  firearms  and  all  sorts  of 
weapons,  giving  it  the  appearance  of  an  arsenal.  The  other  parts  of  the 
hut  were  filled  with  books  in  Hebrew,  Yiddish,  German  and  Russian; 
pictures  of  renowned  Zionists;  agricultural  implements,  oriental  gar¬ 
ments,  harnesses,  saddles,  a  collection  of  insects,  such  as  beetles  and  liz¬ 
ards,  mounted  on  a  paper  and  placed  in  a  glass  case,  hunters  trophy  and 
many  other  articles  of  local  interest.  After  listening  to  many  stories  of 
adventure  we  bade  our  Hebraic  guardsmen  “Sabbath  Shalom”  and  re¬ 
turned  to  the  village. 

I  learned  from  my  friend  that  there  were  in  the  colony  forty-six  fam¬ 
ilies  with  247  persons,  among  whom  were  fourteen  employees,  school 
teachers,  a  druggist,  a  shochet  and  a  few  others  who  are  not  land  own¬ 
ers.  There  were  also  sixty  Jewish  laborers  employed  in  farms  owned 
by  the  Agudath  Netaim  (who  purchased  6000  D.  land  in  Hederah)  and 
planted  it  with  almonds,  olives  and  oranges.2 

Within  the  last  few  years,  the  population  had  increased  through  the 
immigration  of  Jews  from  Yemen,  for  whom  the  National  Fund  erected 
hospices  and  the  Ezra  Society  had  built  houses;  for  twenty  workingmen, 
each  one  receiving  also  20  D.  of  land.  The  National  Fund  also 
provided  a  home  for  the  unemployed  and  unmarried  folks,  where  a  soup 
kitchen  has  been' established. 

Hederah,  with  its  daughter  colony,  “Hephzi-bah,”  has  38,350  D. 
land.  Its  western  boundary  is  the  sea,  where  is  possesses  a  small  port 
used  for  shipping  of  freight. 

The  sale  of  products  in  1909  amounted  to  $33,161,  about  three-fourths 
of  that  sum  having  been  realized  from  the  sale  of  grain,  the  balance  from 
the  sale  of  grapes  and  other  fruit.  The  soil  varies;  it!  isv  poor  toward  the 
west  owing  to  the  sand  dunes,  but  is  fertile  toward  the  east  of  the 
colony. 

The  implements  used  here  are  of  the  best  American  make.  The 
water  supply  is  plentiful.  One  has  to  dig  but  a  few  feet  to  find  water.  In 
some  places  it  overflows  the  land,  appearing  like  small  lakes,  and  in 
the  northern  part  of  the  colony  the  springs  form  a  running  creek 
flowing  into  the  sea  (Nahr  Mefdshir). 

The  various  societies  and  individuals  own  about  ten  motors  for  sup¬ 
plying  the  houses  with  water,  for  irrigating  the  orangeries  and  for  oper¬ 
ating  a  flour  mill. 

2  The  Agudath  Netaim  Company  has  utilized  the  old  swamp  district  of  the  pool  “Bre- 
chath  Ata”  for  irrigation  purposes. 


190 


NEW  JUDEA 


The  general  aspect  of  Hederah  is  unique  and  presents  individual 
characteristics.  The  thick  eucalyptus  forest  inclosing  the  settlement, 
shutting  off  as  it  does  the  view  of  the  surrounding  world,  gives  it  a  very 
romantic  appearance.  The  cottages  are  separated  from  each  other  and 
enveloped  in  a  forest  of  trees  and  shrubbery;  the  colony  as  a  whole 
makes  an  excellent  impression  upon  the  visitor. 

My  friend  conducted  me  to  the  Gan  Samuel — an  Ethrogim  Garden 
founded  through  the  efforts  of  the  Hovevei  Zion  of  Russia  in  memory  of 
the  great  Rabbi  Samuel  Mohilever,  of  Bialostock;  though  neglected  for 
some  years  it  now  is  receiving  good  care,  being  managed  by  A.  Feinberg, 
a  prominent  leader  in  Hederah.  About  35,000  ethrogim  trees  are  planted 
there. 

The  famous  agricultural  expert,  Herr  Aaronson,  has  established  a 
branch  of  his  experimental  station  in  Hederah.  Of  late  the  Society  Agu- 
dath  Joseph  has  been  doing  excellent  work  for  advancement  of  horticul¬ 
ture  in  Hederah. 

The  history  of  the  colony  is  very  thrilling  and  reads  like  that  of  the 
early  Puritans  who  came  to  America  on  the  Mayflower. 

In  1891  Russian  Zionist  Colonization  Societies  of  Riga,  Wilna  and 
Kovno  secured  6500  D.  of  arable  land  through  the  efforts  of  Joshuah 
Hankin  from  a  Christian  Arab,  named  Salim  Hari.  This  territory  was 
situated  midway  between  Jaffa  and  Haifa,  near  the  sea,  south  of  an¬ 
cient  Caesarea  (once  an  important  harbor  and  capital  of  Palestine)  and 
in  the  same  year  a  colony  was  founded. 

The  land  was  badly  chosen  for  a  settlement.  The  creek,  “Nahr 
Mefdshir,”  Vadi  El-Khudeira,  that  runs  from  the  north,  had  the  entire 
neighborhood  changed  into  disease  breeding  marshes  and  miasmatic 
swamps.  The  unexperienced  settlers  as  soon  as  they  secured  title  to 
their  premises  gathered  into  the  old  native  Khan,  in  the  centre  of  the  set¬ 
tlement,  started  to  clear  away  stones  and  lay  out  plots  for  dwellings,  but 
thev  soon  ran  short  of  funds  and  thev  were  obliged  to  make  half-finished 
cottages  or  the  bare  ground  their  homes.  In  the  meantime  they  were 
busy  ploughing  the  dry  ground  for  sowing  of  wheat  and  vegetables. 

In  consequence  of  exposure  to  the  bad  air  blowing  from  the  mias¬ 
matic  marshes  of  the  west  and  the  bad  drinking  water  from  a  badly  con¬ 
structed  well  in  the  valley,  malaria  broke  out  in  a  malignant  form.  In  a 
short  time  it  carried  away  half  of  their  number.  Six  died  in  one  month 
and  five  in  another,  and  during  one  summer  only  six  or  seven  had 


HEDERAH 


191 


strength  enough  to  nurse  the  dying  and  bury  the  dead.  Sick  and  desti¬ 
tute  of  every  provision  which  the  weakness  of  the  invalids  required,  they 
lay  crowded  in  the  unsanitary  Khan  or  in  half-built  cabins. 

The  question  of  safety  from  marauding  natives  was  also  confronting 
the  poor  settlers.  It  was  hard  to  get  Arab  Shomrim,  for  they  all  dreaded 
to  enter  the  village.  They  would  not  approach  the  colony  for  fear  of 
death.  The  Oriental  mind  gave  credence  to  all  stories  of  superstition 
and  fanaticism  that  gossips  had  spread  about  the  neighborhood.  Their 
fear,  however,  had  not  prevented  the  barbarous  Bedouins  from  destroy¬ 
ing  the  fields  of  the  colony,  which  were  at  a  distance  from  the  settlement, 
and  the  colonists,  sick  as  they  were,  had  to  assume  themselves  the  guar¬ 
dianship  of  their  territory,  which  was  a  perilous'  task  in  those  days,  for 
between  the  treacherous  natives  and  the  diseased  marshes  the  chances 
for  endurance  were  slight. 

On  the  village  graveyard,  where  my  friend  had  requested  me  to  ac¬ 
company  him  ,were  lines  of  tombstones  of  entire  families.  At  one  place 
he  stopped,  his  face  flushed,  tears  began  to  run  down  his  cheeks  and, 
choking  with  emotion,  he  exclaimed,  “Friend !  these  are  the  sacrifices  I 
brought  for  our  land  and  for  the  future  of  my  people,”  and,  overcome 
with  grief,  he  moaned  “Three !  three !  three !”  and  could  not  speak  any 
more.  He  turned  pale  and  fell  among  the  graves  of  his  wife  and  two 
children  that  died  during  the  summer  of  1893.  He  lay  prostrate  for  a  few 
minutes  on  the  ground  and  when  he  got  up  he  continued,  “And  while  I 
was  taking  the  last  glances  at  my  wife,  yonder  by  the  sycamore  tree  a 
grave  was  dug  and  mourners  were  preparing  for  interment  the 
body  of  a  brother-in-law  of  mine. 

“There  was  no  rest  or  comfort,”  he  concluded.  “I  myself  barely  es¬ 
caped  death  that  summer.” 

Yet  among  those  whose  lives  were  spared,  courage  and  fidelity  never 
gave  out.  They  carried  off  their  dead  and  then  hastened  back  from  the 
burial  place  to  wait  on  the  sick,  and  as  the  sick  began  to  recover  they 
took  the  places  of  those  whose  strength  had  been  exhausted.  They  had 
not  time  and  no  inclination  to  despond.  As  idealists  they  always  bore  in 
mind  that  all  great  things  are  attended  wtih  great  difficulties  and  must 
be  overcome  with  courage. 

The  survivors  felt  that  the  best  manner  in  which  they  might  honor 
their  departed  dear  ones  was  to  be  true  to  the  ideals  of  those  who  died 
in  a  good  cause.  To  work  in  harmony  for  the  building  up  of  a  monu- 


192 


NEW  JUDEA 


ment  in  memory  of  the  dead  became  the  sole  ambition  of  these  idealists. 

The  “Baron”  is  said  to  have  offered  to  transplant  the  surviving  col¬ 
onists  to  a  place  where  the  surroundings  were  sanitary  and  healthful,  but 
they  could  not  bring  themselves  to  accept  the  offer,  nor  can  one  blame 
a  people  for  declining  to  surrender  their  home  for  which  they  had  paid 
such  a  high  price.  Solemn  memories  of  those  who  had  passed  away  and 
regard  for  the  soil  where  so  many  sacrifices  had  been  brought  made  them 
decline  the  kind  offer. 

In  a  time  of  great  crisis  the  “Baron”  came  to  the  rescue  of  Hederah. 
Profiting  by  the  sad  experience  of  “Petach  Tikvah,”  he  ordered  the  plant¬ 
ing  of  500,000  eucalyptus  trees  around  the  colony,  where  one  of  the 
marshes  that  was  the  cause  of  the  malignant  scourge  was  located ;  the 
other  swamp  was  done  away  with  by  draining  it  through  clay  tubes  into 
the  sea.  In  two  years  our  disease-stricken  village  had  developed  into  a 
healthfuli (colony,  the  marshes  were  dried  up  and  the  air  purified,  the 
unhealthy  swamps  turned  into  the  most  fertile  grain  fields.  The 
“Ika”  already  is  reaping  the  fruit  of  the  “Barons”  investment.  The 
branches  are  sold  to  prop  ,up  trees  in  orange  groves  and  a  merchant  of 
Jaffa  has'  purchased  the  privilege  of  cutting  the  full-grown  trees.  He 
installed  a  sawmill  in  Jaffa,  where  boxes  in  which  oranges  are  packed 
are  made  from  eucalptus  boards.3  The  colony  on  the  other  hand  did 
not  lose  anything  by  the  removal  of  these  trees.  From  the  roots  of  the 
trees  new  trees  grow  within  a  short  time. 

With  better  health  conditions  their  economic  condition  has  greatly 
improved  and  the  colony  has  grown  to  be  the  most  prosperous  colony 
in  Palestine. 

I  bid  my  friend  farewell  and  went  to  see  little  Jardenah.  I  found 
her  much  improved.  Her  countenance  cleared  and  she  greeted  us  with 

a  smiling  “Shalom.”  I  could  not  stay  with  her  any  longer,  as  Dr.  E - 

had  to  return  to  Zichron  to  look  after  several  patients.  I  parted  from 
my  little  patient  well  pleased  with  her  condition. 

Our  return  to  Zichron  did  not  take  so  much  time.  We  crossed  the 
Nahr  es-Zerka  or  Crocodile  river  of  Pliny  (Crocodilon  of  Strabo),4  a 
stream  that  drains  the  wide  marshy  grounds  along  the  foot  of  the  hills. 
This  stream,  as  everything  else  in  Palestine,  instead  of  being  a  blessing 
to  the  district,  is  a  curse  to  the  inhabitants.  A  dam  built  about  a  mile 

3  Tlie  eucalyptus  wood  is  suitable  for  building  purposes,  its  timber  is  adaptable  for  the 
construction  of  houses  and  cabinet  making. 

4  The  climate  of  this  region  resembles,  that  of  the  Delta  of  the  Nile.  There  is  nothing 
extraordinary  in  the  appearance  of  the  crocodile. 


HEDERAH 


193 


from  the  sea  to  give  a  full  rush  of  water  for  the  operating  of  mills,  had 
been  neglected  and  had  overflowed  a  large  district  and  changed  the 
territory  into  marshes  where  the  crocodile  is  occasionally  seen.  Some 
years  ago  a  Jewish  colonist  of  Zichron  saw  a  crocodile  in  the  river  Zerka. 
He  shot  it  and  upon  examination  by  a  zoologist  it  was  discovered  to  be 
a  young  crocodile.5 

The  largest  part  of  the  land  between  Hederah  and  Zichron  is  not 
cultivated  and  wild  hogs  the  hyena6  and  other  wild  animals  are  occasion¬ 
ally  seen  here. 

In  about  two  hours  I  was  back  in  Zichron  Jacob.  Late  in  the  after¬ 
noon  I  visited  Mr.  Shub,  to  whom  I  am  obliged  for  much  valuable  infor¬ 
mation.  We  walked  through  the  clean  streets,  between  rows  of  nicely 
kept  white  stone  houses,  partly  concealed  among  shrubbery,  such  as 
green  acacias  and  oleanders,  and  we  came  into  the  town  hall,  where  we 
found  the  large  room  crowded  with  young  readers,  absorbed  in  news¬ 
papers,  books  and  periodicals,  mostly  in  Hebrew.  Leaving  this  place 
we  proceeded  to  the  synagogue,  where  similar  conditions  prevailed.  The 
men  of  the  older  generation  were  sitting  over  large  volumes  of  the  Tal¬ 
mud  and  Midrash,  and  I  wondered  whether  this  was  really  an  agricul¬ 
tural  settlement.  We  then  stopped  at  the  hospital,  where  Dr.  M.  Gins- 
burg,  a  sister  of  Achad  Haam,  was  the  resident  physician.  The  doctor 
was  kind  enough  to  take  us  through  the  little  sick  house.  There  were 
only  five  patients,  two  from  Hederah,  one  from  Zichron  and  two  from 
other  colonies.  Three  were  sick  with  malaria,  one  with  dysentery  and 
one  with  trachoma.  The  ward  was  scrupulously  clean  and  well  venti¬ 
lated.  The  clinical  charts  and  the  history  sheets  were  all  in  the  Hebrew 
language,  and,  judging  from  the  description  of  these,  the  patients  were 
receiving  good  and  careful  treatment. 

I  regret  not  to  have  had  the  privilege  to  be  at  the  school  house 
during  the  sessions,  for  there  was  no  school  that  day.  .  For  the  same 
reason  I  was  not  able  to  see  the  “Depot/’  or  department  store,  which  is 
so  much  spoken  of  in  Palestine.  It  has  the  reputation  of  being  the 
largest  store  in  the  district,  where  one  can  obtain  anything  and  every¬ 
thing  from  a  pin  to  an  agricultural  implement,  and  from  a  pound  of 
flour  to  a  suit  of  clothes. 

The  wine  cellar  (also  closed)  did  not  appear  to  be  as  elaborate  as 
that  which  we  had  seen  at  Rishon.  It  is  only  used  by  the  local  wine 


8  Bambus,  p.  97 ;  Shenkil  Biblical  lex.  Ill,  612. 

9  The  hyena  is  quite  frequently  seen  here. 


194 


NEW  JUDEA 


growers,  and  occasionally  by  those  of  Hederah. 

Among  other  things  in  Zichron  may  be  mentioned  a  steam  mill,  a 
steam  plough,  a  large  nursery  garden,  a  seltzer  factory  and  a  factory 
for  conserving  mixed  pickles. 

The  land  area  of  Zichron  Jacob  is  30,668  D.,  very  suitable  for  agri¬ 
cultural  purposes.  It  is  estimated  that  three-fourths  of  the  income  is 
derived  from  agriculture,  apiculture,  dairying  and  cattle  raising;  the 
balance  from  the  products  of  the  vine.7  The  almond  and  olive  trees, 
of  which  there  is  a  large  number  in  the  colony,  are  young  as  yet,  and 
contributed,  so  far,  little  to  the  general  funds. 

The  population  of  Zichron  is  935.  Among  the  265  families  were 
243  school  children.  The  colonists  here  produce  almost  everything  they 
need,  and  are  not  obliged  to  buy  any  eatables,  as  is  the  case  in  Rishon 
and  Rechoboth.  Their  fine  pasture  lands  enable  them  to  maintain  large 
numbers  of  cattle  and  to  sell  milk,  butter  and  cheese  in  Haifa  and  other 
places.  The  value  of  their  cattle  has  been  estimated  at  $36,000.  They 
possessed  1,380  head  of  cattle. 

One  discouraging  feature  in  the  colony  is  Arab  labor.  For  some 
reason  less  Jews  are  employed  here  than  in  any  other  Judean  colony. 

The  Ika,  however,  employs  many  Jews  on  its  fine  orange  grove  near 
“Nezly.”  When  the  Ika  took  over  the  management  of  the  village  in 
1900  it  was  in  an  unenviable  condition.  The  impression  of  “Achad 
Haam “This  is  no  colony,  but  a  disgrace,”  was  probably  correct  at 
that  time,  but  now  it  has  grown;  to  be  a  self  supporting  settlement  and 
the  value  of  land  and  building  lots  has  increased  ten-fold. 

The  exports  and  imports  of  Zichron  are  also  on  a  steady  increase. 

The  history  of  Zichron  is  analogous  to  that  of  Rishon  le-Zion.  The 
original  settlers  were  without  exception  men  of  very  moderate  means. 
They  believed  in  the  responsibilities  of  individual  ownership  and  not  in 
any  communistic  system,  and  they  soon  found  themselves  engaged  in  a 
severe  struggle.  Ignorant  of  the  language  of  the  country,  the  methods 
of  agricullture,  manners  and  customs  of  the  inhabitants  (who1 
regarded  them  as  intruders)  and  unused  to  the  climate,  their  condition 
soon  became  helpless  and  their  power  of  endurance  were 
taxed  to  the  utmost.  They,  however,  determined  with  unflinching  reso¬ 
lution  to  stay  in  the  colony.  That  the  colony  finally  achieved  some 
measure  of  success  was  due  to  the  benevolence  of  Baron  Edmund  de 
Rothschild,  who  had  taken  personal  pride  in  the  colony  named  in  mem- 


7  It  is  said  that  more  than  one  million  grape  vines  are  planted  in  these  yards. 


HEDERAH 


196 


ory  of  his  father  Jacob.  His  officials  here  spent  his  money  lavishly  to 
make  it  a  model  settlement  and  to  attract  Jews  to  that  place.  Many 
towns  in  America  may  envy  its  public  institutions,  its  pleasure  ground, 
its  paved  streets  and  its  modern  water  works.  Whether  the  Baron  has 
received  the  full  value  of  his  investment  is  a  question  that  cannot  be  an¬ 
swered  in  the  affirmative.  The  noble  Baron  here  more  than  anywhere 
else  was  very  unfortunate  with  his  managers  and  lost  a  good  deal 
through  fraud.  , 

Under  the  new  regime  large  tracts  of  arable  land  were  purchased, 
which  in  1903  were  divided  among  the  colonists,  enabling  them  to  ex¬ 
tend  their  activities  in  grain  and  viticulture.  Further  evidence  of  the 
success  of  the  colony  is  the  establishment  of  many  daughter 
colonies  in  its  vicinity.  In  Tantura,8  about  two  hours  distance 
from  the  seashore,  twenty  workingmen  from  the  older  colony 
settled.  Among  the  new  ruins  there  is  the  “Baron’s'’  glass  fac¬ 
tory,  built  near  Tantura*  for  unemployed  Jews.  It  had  to  close  because 
the  sand  was  not  suitable  for  the  making  of  glassware. 

Sefeyah,  another  village  about  an  hour  and  a  half  distance,  is  on 
a  hill  near  the  Arabic  village  Sefeyah.  It  stands  on  a  white 
rock  and  its  white  stone  cottages  give  it  a  beautiful  aspect.  Its  twenty- 
five  families  occupy  themselves  with  agriculture  and  dairy  farming.  Their 
beautiful  cottages,  their  vineyards,  their  olive  forests,  the  mountain  air 
the  best  drinking  water,  and  the  good  milk  and  poultry  would  make  this 
colony  an  ideal  health  resort.  Indeed,  Dr.  H.  Joffa  has  cherished  an 
idea  of  establishing  a  sanitarium  there. 

Morah,  another  daughter  colony,  possesses  excellent  agricultural 
land  and  is  provided  with  hospices  for  working  men  that  make  their 
home  there  during  working  days. 

The  most  magnificent  view  of  the  environs  of  Zichron  may  be  gotten 
by  standing  on  the  upper  section  of  the  village.  To  the  west  the  eye 
wanders  on  the  long  coast-line ;  to  the  East  the  hills  rise  in  swelling  undu¬ 
lations  to  a  height  of  about  2000  feet,  where  the  smoke  of  the  numerous 
villages  with  the  late  afternoon  haze  is  seen.  To  the  northeast  might  be 
discerned  the  lofty  summit  of  the  Hermon,  and  in  the  immediate  prox¬ 
imity  in  the  same  direction  is  seen  the  range  of  the  Carmel  and  the 
beautiful  daughter  colonies. 

It  was  late  when  we  returned  home.  The  Maariv  prayer  was  chant- 

8  The  ancient  Dor  or  Nofath  Dor  of  the  Bible,  where  Solomon’s  officers  made  their  head¬ 
quarters  (Josh.  xi:l,  Kings  iv). 


196 


NEW  JUDEA 


ed  by  Mr.  Shub  at  the  hotel  in  the  presence  of  a  minyan  of  visitors.  The 
lamps  of  the  hotel  were  lit  after  the  services  were  over.  This  was  fol¬ 
lowed  by  “Havdalah”  and  the  drinking  of  a  cup  of  the  best  local  wine. 
The  singing  of  “Hamavdil“  was  a  feature  of  the  evening.  It  was  audible 
from  almost  every  house  and  was  accompanied  by  musical  instruments, 
such  as  the  piano  and  violin.  Ritual  music  and  national  songs  were 
the  features  of  the  Sabbath.  Almost  every  house  wasi  well  illuminated 
and  assumed  the  air  of  a  general  holiday.  The  holiday  was  not  confined 
to  the  houses.  The  young  Judeans  manifested  their  national  freedom  on 
the  public  highways.  The  youth  of  the  colony,  were  marching  over  the 
long  street,  singing  in  chorus  Jewish  national  airs,  “Hatikvoh,”  “Bimkom 
Shorn  Arozim”  and  other  songs. 

One  song  particularly  impressed  me,  because  it  showed  the  spirit  of 
New  Judea.  I  shall  render  it  here  in  English : 

In  this,  the  land  of  opportunity, 

The  resting  place  for  pilgrims’  weary  feet, 

We  too  enjoy  the  law’s  Equality 
And  share  in  Heaven’s  gift  of  Freedom  sweet 
The  seeds  of  the  Torah  in  this  fertile  soil 
Will  yield  a  thousand  measures  for  our  toil. 

Moistened  with  Liberty’s  pearly  dew, 

The  buds  had  come  and  gone, 

And  then  the  fragrant  blossoms  grew, 

Warmed  by  the  radiant  sun. 

So  let  us  work  with  song  and  pray 
That  we  may  eat  the  fruit  some  day. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 


ISRAEL’S  CLAIM  ON  PALESTINE. 

Having  presented  an  account  of  the  colonies  in  Judea,  we  now  turn 
to  the  question  often  asked,  “What  right  has  the  Jew  on  Palestine?  His 
claim  to  the  land,”  it  is  asserted,  “has  been  relinquished  with  the  advent 
of  the  Roman  and  succeeding  conquerors.  He  severed  his  connection  with 
Palestine  for  nearly  1800  years,  and  during  the  entire  period  he  made 
no  earnest  effort  to  recover  it.  Even  granting,”  it  is  argued,  “that  by 
some  miracle  the  Jew  should  regain  a  foothold  in  Palestine,  of  what 
benefit  will  it  be  to  him  or  to  the  land?  Palestine  is  essentially  an  agri¬ 
cultural  country  and  is  in  need  of  a  farming  element  and  this  is  what 
the  Jew  is  not.  He  has  been  a  trader  for  so  long  a  period,  that  to  change 
him  into  a  tilljer  of  the  soil  would  be  neither  advisable  nor  possible.” 

The  object  of  this  chapter  is  to  demonstrate  the  relationship  of  the 
Jew  to  Palestine  all  through  the  diaspora;  to<  prove  that  the  Jew  never 
severed  his  relattions  with  his  beloved  country ;  that  he  clung  to  the 
land  with  love  and  devotion,  even  while  facing  all  sorts  of  oppres¬ 
sion  and  peril ;  and  that  whenever  he  was  not  driven  away  by  force  he 
gravitated  toward  it  not  only  with  the  intention  to  be  entombed  in  the 
holy  dust  of  his  ancestors,  but  with  the  resolve  to  live  and  cultivate  the 
fields  of  his  glorious  land.  No  matter  by  what  name  the  land  was 
known  to  other  people,  to  him  it  was  always,  “Erez  Israel1  (The  Land 
of  Israel). 

Differing  in  custom  and  policy  from  ancient  conquerors,  the  Romans 
appeared  to  have  been  satisfied  with  the  capture  of  Jerusalem  (70  C.  E.). 
They  did  not  exile  all  the  vanquished  Judeans  to  other  lands-2  The 
Judeans  were  deprived  of  their  beloved  capitol  and  their  political  inde¬ 
pendence,  and  their  land  was  sold  by  Bassus,  the  Governor  of  Jeru¬ 
salem,  for  the  benefit  of  the  imperial  treasury,  but  a  large  Jewish  popu¬ 
lation  remained  in  Palestine,  many  of  them  returning  from  their  hid¬ 
ing-places  in  the  great  desert  beyond  the  Jordan. 

‘This  name  is  met  with  for  the  first  time  in  the  days  of  Saul.  See  I  Sam.  xiii:19.  See 
also  Ezek.  xlvii:19.  Owing  to  the  sacred  associations  it  was  also  known  as  the  “Holy  Land,” 
first  mentioned  in  Zech.  xi:16. 

2  Notwithstanding  Clermon-Ganneau,  the  French  archeologist,  who  is  of  the  opinion  that 
the  entire  Jewish  community  was  destroyed  during  the  wars  with  Vespasian  and  Titus. 

197 


198 


NEW  JUDEA 


Johanan  ben  Zaccai,  who,  according  to  tradition,  was  carried  out 
of  Jerusalem  in  a  coffin,  received  a  permit  from  Vespasian  to  found  a 
school  at  Jabne  (Jamnia),  where  the  Sanhedrin  was  subsequently  estab¬ 
lished. 

Berenice  the  beautiful,  with  whom  Titus  was  madly  in  love,  re¬ 
turned  to  Palestine  as  soon  as  the  Roman  rule  was  relaxed  in  its  sever¬ 
ity,  and  her  brother,  the  last  Jewish  king,  Agrippa  II,  was  able  to  hold 
Galilee  and  to  appoint  Jewish  governors  over  Sepphoris  and  Tiberias — 
the  chief  centres  of  learning  and  population. 

Five  years  later  (75  C.  E.),  Gamaliel  the  Second  took  his  title  as 
“Nasi”  (Prince).  Eleazar  began  to  teach  at  Lydda  and  Joshua  at  Pekiin, 
which  became  for  a  while  the  chief  seats  of  learning.  The  Jewish  posi¬ 
tion  appears  to  have  somewhat  improved  as  soon  as  Rome  became  con¬ 
fident  of  its  powers.  Gamaliel  was  the  owner  of  large  tracts  of  land, 
and  his  pastoral  journeys  show  plainly  that  new  communities  were  rap¬ 
idly  growing  in  Judea. 

Rabbi  Akiba  became  the  religious  head  about  the  year  98  C-  E.  He 
set  up  his  schools  at  Bnei  Berak,  southeast  of  Joppa,  where  tradition 
credits  him  with  being  the  head  over  twenty-four  thousand  disciples. 
The  position  of  the  Jews  at  that  time  is  best  illustrated  by  the  many  laws 
in  vogue.  They  appear  to  have  owned  land  in  every  section  of  Pales¬ 
tine.  The  agricultural  tithes  were  still  gathered  by  the  Jewish  authori¬ 
ties.  (The  so-called  “Jew  tax”  was  paid  to  the  Roman  tax  collectors.) 

The  Jewish  peasant  was  known  among  the  students  of  the  Rab¬ 
binic  academies  as  “Am  Haaretz”  (country-folk).8 

When  Hadrian  became  Emperor  he  found  the  Jews  up  in  arms 
because  Lucius  Quietus  (legate  to  his  predecessor,  Trajan)  had  been 
persecuting  them  unmercifully,  the  great  centre  of  learning  at  Jabne 
was  broken  up,  and  the  Sanhedrin  was  obliged  to  move  to  Usha,4  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Sheffarim5  to  continue  their  spiritual  work.  Joshua 
the  Patriarch  acting  upon  the  assurance  given  by  Hadrian  that  the  Jew¬ 
ish  request  for  permission  to  rebuild  the  Temple  would  be  granted,  paci¬ 
fied  them  and  the  thirst  of  the  Judeans  for  revenge  was  for  a  time 
quenched.  But  soon  the  air  was  ablaze  with  revolutionary  fire  in  conse- 

5  The  conflict  between  the  “Am  haaretz”  and  the  rabbinical  student  must  have  been  very 
bitter.  R.  Akiba  said:  “Would  that  one  might  place  a  Scholar  in  my  hand.  I  would  bite 
him  like  an  ass.”  (Pes.  49b. 

Sirach  who  is  properly  termed  by  Solomon  Schechter  “Our  Jerusalem  Savant,”  asks  with 
sarcasm,  ‘  How  shall  he  become  wise  that  holdeth  the  plough,  that  glorieth  in  thd  shaft  of 
the  goad,  that  driveth  oxen  and  is  occupied  with  the  labors,  and  whose  talk  is  of  bullocks?” 
(Sirach  xxxv:ll,  25). 

4  El  Uz. 

•  Shafa  Amr. 


ISRAELS  CLAIM  ON  PALESTINE 


m 

quence  of  the  non-fulfillment  of  the  promise  by  Hadrian  to  rebuild 
the  Temple.  The  order  not  to  permitt  Jews  to  enter  Jerusalem,  the 
changing  of  the  name  of  their  capital  into  Aelia  Capitolina,  and  the  pro¬ 
faning  of  the  site  of  the  Temple  with  a  temple  to  Jupiter  were  too  much 
for  the  Judeans  to  withstand. 

The  preparations  of  the  Judeans  for  this  new  uprising  lasted  two 
years.  Akiba,  who  after  the  death  of  Joshua  was  the  acknowledged  head 
of  the  Rabbinic  academy,  became  the  new  deliverer  of  Palestine.  Bar 
Kochba  was  proclaimed  King  of  the  Jews.  Jerusalem  again  became 
Jewish,  and  Palestine  from  132-134  continued  as  a  Jewish  State  as  in  the 
days  of  old.5b  However,  the  fortunes  of  war  turned,  Severus  by  his  dila¬ 
tory  tactics  starved  out  the  Judeans  and  Bar  Kochba  made  his  last  stand 
at  Bethar,  where  one  of  the  bloodiest  trgedies  in  the  Jewish  hostory  took 
place.  Half  a  million  Jews,  according  to  tradition,  fell  in  this  battle,  and  as 
many  fell  on  the  side  of  the  Romans.  Yet  a  considerable  portion  of 
Judeans  still  remained  on  their  old  land.  The  collapse  of  the  rebellion 
still  left  a  large  Jewish  population  in  Palestine.  The  next  emperor. 
Marcus  Aurelius,  who  succeeded  Hadrian  (137  C.  E.),  exhibited  a  dis¬ 
position  to  be  more  lenient  to  the  Jews.  The  severe  edicts  of  his  prede¬ 
cessor  were  removed  and  the  effect  of  his  leniency  was  that  many  Judean 
leaders  returned  to  Palestine,  settled  at  Usha  and  re-established  the 
patriarchate  there.  The  centre  of  gravity  of  Jewish  national  life  was 
shifted  to  Galilee.  Rabbi  Judah  the  Prince  (135-220),  collector  and 
compiler  of  the  Mishnah,  became  the  leader  in  Israel.  He  adopted  the 
policy  of  conciliation.  He  abrogated  the  “year  of  release”  (Sabbatical 
year)6,  lightened  the  tithe7  and  revised  the  borders  of  Palestine,  to  help 
the  war-stricken  and  oppressed  agriculturists  to*  recuperate.. 
He  (Judah  the  Prince)  is  reputed  to  have  possessed  large  tracts  of  land 
and  his  wealth  was  almost  fabulous. 

The  great  literary  activities  and  political  movements  carried  on  by 
the  Jews  of  Palestine  up  to  the  middle  of  the  fifth  century.  The 
existence  of  the  princely  dignitaries,  and  patriarchs,  wielding  considerable 
authority  over  the  Jews,  give  evidence  that  Palestine  during  that  period 
had  a  considerably  large  Jewish  population.  The  careful  consideration 
given  in  the  Mishnah  and  the  Jerusalem  Talmud  to  laws 
regulating  land  and  agricultural  matters  in  all  their  phases  is  sufficient 

6b  According  to  Dio  Cassius,  five  hundred  and  eighty-five  of  the  smaller  cities  and  vil¬ 
lages  were  captured  by  his  followers. 

7  Hul,  6b. 


200 


NEW  JUDEA 


-evidence  that  the  cultivation  of  land  up  to  the  middle  of  the  fifth  cen¬ 
tury  was  with  the  Jews  of  Palestine  a  living  question  and  not  merely  a 
theoretical  problem.* * * * * 8  References  in  Talmudic  literature  are  not  lack¬ 
ing,  to  the  building  of  terraces, 8b  to  the  practice  of  fertilzation9  and  the 
use  of  irrigation.10  We  also  find  in  Rabbinic  literature  names  of  many 
varieties  of  wine,  olives  and  other  fruits ;  of  many  kinds  of  grains,  of 
■various  agricultural  implements11,  and  of  vehicles  used  by  the  proprie¬ 
tors  of  land  that  leave  no  doubt  in  the  mind  of  the  reader  that  the  chief 
Jewish  occupation  during  the  entire  period  ending  with  the  completion 
of  the  Talmud  was  agriculture  in  all  its  branches.12  The ,  estimation  in 
which  farming  was  held  by  Jews  at  that  period  may  be  shown  from  the 
numerous  passages  in  Rabbinical  literature.  Said  Rabbi  Eliezer,  “He 
that  owns  no  land  is  no  man.”13  .  .  .  All  artisans  will  in  time  to  come 
turn  to  the  working*  of  the  soil  ....  for  the  soil  is  the  surest  way 
of  sustenance  to  those  that  work  it;  furthermore,  such  work  brings 
strength  to  the  body  and  ease  to  the  mind.14  “He  that  toils  and  strives 
after  money  the  while  he  has  no  land  of  his  own,  what  enjoyment  has  he 
from  all  this  travail.”15 

Said  Rabbi  Hanin — the  verse,  “thy  life  shall  hang  in  doubt  before 
thee,  thou  shalt  fear  day  and  night,  thou  shalt  have  no  assurance  of 
thy  life,”16  is  to  be  expounded  as  follows :  “Thy  life  shall  hang  in  doubt 
before  thee;  this  refers  to  him  that  buys  his  food  supplies  from  year 
to  year;  “thou  shalt  fear  day  and  night;”  this  refers  to  him  that  buys 
them  from  week  to  week ;  “thou  shalt  have  none  assurance  of  thy  life ;” 
this  refers  to  him  that  depends  upon  the  storekeeper17. 

A  story  is  told  of  a  very  old  man  who  labored,  early  and  late  at  tree 
planting,  though,  as  the  Emperor  Hadrian  taunted  him,  he  couldn’t 

8  The  fact  that  the  Jews  of  Palestine  were  able  to  compile  the  large  amount  of  material 

which  is  found  in  the  Jerusalem  Talmud  is  the  best  evidence  of  the  Jewish  vitality  during 

that  period  ending  with  the  completion  of  the  Jerusalem  Talmud  (320  C.  E.).  The  fluent 

and  flexible  style  of  the  Mishnah,  differing  widely  from  the  Biblical  style,  shows  clearly  that 

£he  Hebrew  language  was  in  process  of  a  natural  development. 

8b  See  Mishnah  Shebiith  III,  S. 

9  lb.  II. 

10  Moed  Koton,  1 :3. 

11  Sabb.  1 :0,  Shebiith  5 :6. 

12  References  in  the  Bible  to  terraces  is  found  in  the  Song  of  Songs :  “My  dove,  thou  art 
in  clefts  of  the  rock,  in  the  secret  places  of  the  stairs”  (terraces).  iii:14. 

13  Yeb.  G3  A. 

14  lb. 

15  Lev.  R,  xxiii. 

18  Deut.  xxviii:G6. 

v  Men.  103b. 


ISRAELS  CLAIM  ON  PALESTINE 


20V 


expect  to  enjoy  their  fruit.  The  moral  of  this  story  is  that  every  man 
is  bound  to  till  the  ground  even  though  he  may  not  expect  to  reap  the. 
fruits  of  his  labor;  for  when  he  came  into  the  world  he  found  that  other 
men  had  cultivated  the  land  for  him18. 

Hast  thou  a  field?  Work  it  with  all  thy  might;  if  a  man  makes, 
himself  a  slave  unto  his  field  he  will  be  satisfied  with  his  bread1®. 

During  the  Persian  invasion20  the  Jews  were  strong  enough  to  offer- 
powerful  armed  resistence  to  the  Persians,  in  their  fight  against  Herac- 
lius,  the  Byzantine  Emperor. 

All  Jews  of  Galilee  capable  of  bearing  arms  enlisted  in  the  Persian- 
army  under  the  leadership  of  Benjamin  of  Tiberias,  eager  to  avenge 
themselves  against  Rome  and  their  Christian  enemies.  It  is  reported 
that  24,000  Jews  joined  the  army  of  Choseros  II21-  Jerusalem  was  cap¬ 
tured  by  the  Persians  and  its  gates  were  again  thrown  open  to  the  Jews.. 
They  even  dreamt  of  establishing  their  nationality  in  their  own  land. 
Had  the  domination  of  the  Persians  lasted  longer,  Palestine  might  haver 
gone  to  the  Jews  as  a  national  homeland,  but  unfortunately  the  Persian 
rule  was  of  short  duration.  After  an  absence  of  fourteen  years  the 
Byzantine  army  again  appeared  in  Palestine.  The  last  victory  of  Herac- 
lius,  though  of  short  duration,  was  long  enough  to  avenge  himself 
against  the  Jews  who  had  joined  the  enemy. 

Soon  a  new  power  rose  in  the  horizon  of  the  east — the  birth  of 
Mohammedanism.  The  successor  of  Mohammed,  Abu-  Bekr,  was 
impelled  by  ambition  to  establish  the  religion  of  Mohammed  in  the 
East.  With  a  large  army  of  followers  he  attacked  Syria,  resolved  to  con¬ 
quer  the  Holy  Land  for  the  followers  of  Mohammed.  By  his  death,  two 
years  after  the  prophet  (634),  the  great  task  was  left  to  his  successor, 
Kaliph  Omar,  who  in  the  following  year  (635)  realized  the  great  ambi¬ 
tion  of  his  predecessor.  A  large  army  headed  by  a  general  named  Kha- 
lid  marched  upon  Syria,  captured  Damascus  and  the  provinces  of  the- 
Jordan.  In  less  than  a  year  Syria  was  conquered,  and  the  Byzantine' 
army,  under  the  personal  command  of  Heraclius,  after  a  defeat  at  the 
Yarmuk,  was  forced  to  evacuate  Palestine.  Chronicles  tell  us  that  the 
Moslems  were  received  with  great  hospitality  by  the  native  Jews.  They 
welcomed  them  as  their  liberators  from  the  heavy  yoke  to  which  they 

18  Eccl.  R,  11 :20. 

19  Sanh.  58b. 

20  6io  C.  E. 

21  Eusebius  in  bis  Onamasticon  states  that  he  saw  many  villages  occupied  by  Jewish  agri¬ 
culturists,  such  as  Ecron,  Ain  Gedi.  Shomua,  Remon,  Utah,  Noyeh  Dibarto,  etc. 


202 


NEW  JUDEA 


had  been  subjected  by  the  Christian  rulers  of  Syria.  After  Jerusalem 
capitulated,  the  Kalif  on  his  reddish  camel,  loaded  with  bags  of  corn 
and  dates,  took  possession  of  the  land  of  Israel  for  the  sons  of  Ishmael. 

He  opened  the  gates  of  Jerusalem  for  the  Jews  who  were  forbidden 
to  enter  the  Holy  City  on  the  penalty  of  death  by  the  Byzantine  rulers, 
and  gave  them  the  right  of  passing  undisturbed  “from  one  end  of  Pales¬ 
tine  to  the  other.”  He  issued  an  order  that  the  Jews  were  to  have  equal 
rights  with  the  Christians,  and  both  shall  pay  the  same  amount  of  yearly 
tributes  from  the  corn  crops  of  their  fields  and  from  the  oil  of  their  olive 
groves.  Chronicles  further  tell  us  that  the  Jews  of  Khaibar  who 
resided  in  a  valley  two  or  three  days  north  of  Medina,  having  learned  of 
such  privileges,  requested  the  Kalif’s  permission  to  emigrate  to  Pales¬ 
tine.  An  entire  tribe,  with  their  families  and  belongings — such  as  they 
desired  to  take  with  them  across  the  long  journey  through  the  desert — 
came  and  settled  in  Palestine. 

According  to  an  Arab  historian,  in  the  beginning  of  the  Arabic  king¬ 
dom  Palestine  had  a  large  Jewish  population;  the  city  of  Caesarea  alone 
had  twenty  thousand  Jews  and  Samaritans.  Christian  chroniclers  com¬ 
plained  that  Jews  helped  the  Arabs  to  capture  Palestine. 

Omar  took  great  pride  in  the  acquisition  of  Jerusalem  and  particu¬ 
larly  of  the  Temple  site.  It  is  said  that  Omar  himsel  helped  to  clean  the 
site  of  the  Holy  Temple  of  the  filth  and  rubbish  which  was  piled  upon 
it  by  Christians  to  spite  the  Jews.  A  later  Kaliph,  Abd  Al-Melek, 
erected  in  commemoration  of  the  conqueror  of  Jerusalem  a  house  of 
worship — the  Mosque  of  Omar  (684)  ;  the  most  charming  building  in 
the  Holy  City  and  probably  in  the  East22.  The  occupation  of  Palestine 
by  an  Arabic  element  dates  from  the  entrance  of  Kalif  Omar.  During 
the  caliphate  domination  Palestine  was  the  best  governed  land  in  the 
world.  Moawiya,  who  was  Governor  of  Palestine  from  639-680,  was 
just  and  considerate  to  all  people.  The  effect  of  his  beneficent  rule  lasted 
for  centuries  after  him. 

History,  however,  is  silent  as  to  Jewish  conditions  in  Palestine  dur¬ 
ing  the  succeeding  two  centuries23-  We  know,  however,  that  a  large 
emigration  of  Karaites  had  taken  place  to  Jerusalem  toward  the  end 
of  the  eighth  century.  They  were  known  as  “Abelei  Zion”  (mourners 
of  Zion).  We  have  also  records  that  Jewish  merchants,  such  as  jewelers, 

22  See  The  Jews  Under  Islamic  Rule,  by  Abdalah  Quillan  Bey,  read  before  the  London 
Zionists  League,  1906,  reprinted  in  the  Mac.,  1906,  p.  205. 

23  The  movements  of  Obadia  Abn  Isa,  who  organized  a  large  army  of  Jews  of  Syria  and 
Mesopotamia  (754)  to  take  back  Palestine  with  the  sword  is  veiled  in  mystery. 


ISRAELS  CLAIM  ON  PALESTINE 


203 


tanners,  dyers  and  money  changers,  were  found  in  many  Palestinian 
cities. 

How  the  Jews  “from  one  end  of  the  world  to  the  other”  yearned  for 
a  Jewish  national  home  even  in  the  golden  age  of  the  diaspora  is  clearly 
seen  from  the  correspondence  in  the  middle  of  the  tenth  century  (955), 
between  Hasdai  Ibn  Shaprut — the  Jewish  statesman  at  the  court  of 
Abderrahman  III,  Caliph  of  Cordova,  Spain — and  Joseph,  King  of  the 
Khazars.  Hasdai  had  learned  from  the  Persian  and  Byzantine  Ambassa¬ 
dors,  at  the  court  of  the  Caliphate  of  Spain,  that  there  existed  in  a 
far-off  land  beyond  the  seas  a  Jewish  kingdom  known  as  the  Khazars, 
where  Judaism  was  the  State  religion.  The  Jewish  vizier  was  very 
eager  to  get  in  touch  with  the  rulers  of  Khazaria,  and  if  the  rumor 
should  be  verified,  contemplated  journeying  thither  and  devoting  his 
experience  as  statesman  to  his  own  people.  After  satisfying  himself 
that  the  Jewish  kingdom  was  a  fact,  he  wrote  an  epistle  in  the  Hebrew 
language  to  Joseph,  Khagan  of  the  Khazars,  wherein  he  begs  the  King 
for  detailed  information  of  the  history  and  the  status  of  his  kingdom. 
.  .  .  .  “Were  I  to  know/’  writes  Hasdai,  “that  this  is  true,  I  should 

renounce  my  place  of  honor,  abandon  my  lofty  rank,  forsake  my  family, 
and  wander  over  mountains  and  hills,  by  sea  and  on  land,  until  I  reached 
the  dwelling-place  of  my  lord  and  sovereign,  there  to  behold  his  great¬ 
ness  and  splendor,  the  seats  of  his  subjects,  the  positions  of  his  servants, 
and  the  tranquility  of  the  remnant  of  Israel.  .  •  .  Having  been  cast 

down  from  our  former  glory,  and  now  living  in  exile,  we  are  powerless 
to  answer  those  who  constantly  say  unto  us :  “Every  nation  hath  its 
own  kingdom,  while  you  have  no  trace  (of  a  kingdom)  on  earth.”  But 
when  we  received  the  news  about  our  lord  and  sovereign,  about  the 
power  of  his  kingdom  and  the  multitude  of  his  hosts,  we  were  filled 
with  astonishment.  We  lifted  our  heads,  our  spirit  revived,  and  our 
hands  were  strengthened,  the  kingdom  of  my  lord  serving  us  as  an 
answer.  Would  that  this  rumor  might  increase  in  strength  (i.  e.,  be  ver¬ 
ified),  for  thereby  will  our  greatness  be  enhanced!” 

After  a  long  period  of  waiting,  Hasdai  received  from  the  Jewish  King* 
Joseph,  a  reply  wherein  the  King  of  the  Khazars  gives  an  account  of 
how  King  Bulan  and  his  princes  adopted  Judaism  and  how  strictly  it 
was  upheld  by  his  successors.  He  goes  on  telling  that  his  country  is 
situated  at  the  mouth  of  the  Volga,  and  that  at  the  banks  of  the  river 


204 


NEW  JUDEA 


are  many  nations  who  are  tributary  to  his  kingdom,  and  that,  with  the 
help  of  the  Almighty,  he  guards  the  entrance  of  the  river  to  prevent  the 
Russians,  who  arrive  in  vessels,  from  passing  the  Caspian  Sea  for  the 
purpose  of  making  their  way  to  the  Ishmaelites,  and  he  is  at  constant 
war  with  the  nations  who  are  anxious  to  pass  and  destroy  the  Ishmael¬ 
ites.  He  goes  on  to  say,  “Our  eyes  are  turned  to  God  and  to  the  wise 
men  of  Israel  who  preside  over  the  academies  of  Jerusalem  and  Babylon, 
We  are  far  away  from  Zion,  but  it  has  come  to  our  ears  that,  on  account 
of  our  sins  the  calculations  (concerning  the  coming  of  the  Messiah)  have 
become  confused,  so  that  we  know  nothing.  May  it  please  the  Lord  to 
act  for  the  sake  of  His  great  Name.  May  the  destruction  of  His  Temple, 
and  the  cutting  off  of  the  holy  service,  and  the  misfortunes  that  have 
befallen  us,  not  appear  small  in  His  sight.  May  the  words  of  the 
prophet  be  fulfilled :  ‘And  the  Lord,  whom  ye  seek,  shall  suddenly  come 
to  His  Temple’  (Mai.  iii  :1) *  We  have  nothing  in  our  possession  (con¬ 
cerning  the  coming  of  the  Messiah)  except  the  prophecy  of  Daniel.  May 
the  God  of  Israel  hasten  our  redemption  and  gather  together  all  our 
exiled  and  scattered  brethren  in  my  lifetime,  in  thy  lifetime,  and  in  the 
lifetime  of  the  whole  house  of  Israel,  who  love  His  name.” 

A  number  of  letters,  discovered  in  the  Genizah  of  Fostat  by  the 
late  Solomon  Shechter,  sent  by  a  certain  Rabbi  Meir  of  Palestine  to  the 
Exilarch  of  Babylon,  shows  that  in  the  tenth  century  Palestine  must 
have  had  a  large  Jewish  population.  One  of  the  letters  mentions  the  fact 
that  in  Jerusalem  at  that  period  existed  a  large  and  a  small  Synod.24 

The  condition  of  the  Jew  at  the  end  of  the  tenth  century  was  no 
better  than  during  .the  reign  of  Vespasian,  as  testified  by  Christian 
historians. 24b 

In  1187  the  chivalrous  Saladin  recaptured  it  and  rebuilt  the  ruined 
walls.  Then  Richard  I  of  England  essayed  to  free  Jerusalem  again. 


24  See  Jewish  Quarterly  Review,  London,  1905. 

24b  The  capture  of  Jerusalem,  writes  a  Christian  historian,  was  followed  by  a  scene  which 
must  always  be  remembered  by  Christians  with  sorrow,  and  it,  hasi  to  be  acknowledged  that 
the  action  of  the  Crusaders  compares  very  badly  with  that  of  the  Khalif  Omar  and  the  Arabs 
when  they  took  possession  of  the  city  in  A.  D.  637.  On  that  occasion  the  lives  and  property 
of  the  Christians  were  spared  and  they  were  left  in  peaceful  possession  of  their  churches. 
The  Crusaders,  on  the  other  hand,  as  soon  as  they  entered  the  city,  massacred  everyone  they 
met— man,  woman  or  child — and  the  historians  of  that  period  relate  that  in  the  Harem  in¬ 
closure  alone,  whither  the  Mohammedans  had  fled  for  refuge,  many  thousands  were  killed, 
and  the  knights  rode  in  blood  up  to  the  knees  of  their  horses.  The  Jews  fared  no  better  than 
the  Saracens,  for  when  a  number  of  them  assembled  in  the  synagogue  it  was  burned  down, 
with  all  the  people  who  Tvere  in  it.  The  following  day  the  massacre  and  pillage  recom¬ 
menced,  and  300  Egyptians,  whose  lives  had  been  promised  them  by  Tancred,  were  carried 
off  and  butchered  by  the  soldiers.  By  the  end  of  the  week  there  appears  not  to  have  been  a 
Mohammedan  or  a  Jew  left  alive  in  Jerusalem,  as  the  only  survivors  whose  lives  had  been 
spared  by  Raymond  were  sent  by  him  to  the  city  of  Ascalon.  Then,  their  task  having  been 
accomplished,  a  service  of  thanksgiving  was  held  in  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  and  the 
wood  of  the  cross  was  exhibited  to  the  Crusaders. 


THE  AUJEH  RIVER 


4T  THE  WESTERN  WALL 

(See  Page  121) 


A  GARDEN  IN  NORTHERN  PALESTINE 
The  gardens  are  almost  as  beautiful  as  the  fields  of  wild  flowers 


BEE-HIVES  AT  VADI  EL-HANIN 
“That  I  may  perform  the  oath  which  I  have  sworn  unto  your 
them  a  land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey  as  it  is  this  day.” 


father  to  give 
(Jer.  XI:15). 
(See  Page  68) 


ISRAELS  CLAIM  ON  PALESTINE 


205 


and  did,  indeed,  come  within  sight  of  the  historic  city,  but  withdrew 
without  completing  his  high  undertaking.  Richard  Coeur  de  Lion  did 
capture  part  of  Jaffa.  In  a  letter  dated  October  i,  1191,  he  thus 
describes  the  campaign :  “As  we  were  nearing  Asruf,  Saladin  came 
swooping  down  upon  us,  but  with  God’s  mercy  we  lost  no  man  of  impor¬ 
tance,  save  one.  .  .  .  Thence  by  God’s  will  we  came  to  Jaffa,  which 
we  have  fortified  with  ditch  and  wall.  .  .  .  Saladin  lost  an  infinite 
number  of  his  greatest  men,  and,  being  put  to  flight,  in  the  absence  of 
all  help  and  counsel,  he  has  laid  waste  the  whole  land  of  Syria.  On  the 
third  day  before  Saladin’s  defeat  we  were  ourselves  wounded  with  a 
spear  in  the  left  side,  but  thanks  to  God,  we  have  now  regained  strength. 
Know  also  that  by  twenty  days  after  Christmas  we  hope,  through  God’s 
grace,  to  receive  the  Holy  City  of  Jerusalem.” 

But  to  Richard’s  demand  Saladin  turned  a  deaf  ear.  (Note  12.). 

What  Richard  I.,  failed  to  accomplish  after  much  hard  fighting 
was  attained  a  generation  later  through  diplomatic  negotiation  by 
Frederick  II. 

From  1244  to  1517  Jerusalem  was  under  the  rule  of  the  Sultans  of 
Egypt.  Selim  I,  conquered  Palestine  and  Egypt.  He  took  the  tittle 
of  Caliph,  and  carried  off  the  sacred  banner  of  the  Moslems  to  Con¬ 
stantinople.  His  son,  Suleiman  the  Magnificent,  built  the  great  walls 
about  Jerusalem.  These  walls  are  the  present  fortifications  of  the 
city.  Positive  records  as  to  the  number  of  Jews  durir  g  the  occupancy 
of  the  Crusaders  are  lacking.  The  noted  travelers,  Benjamin  of  Tudela 
and  Rabbi  Pethachyah  of  Regensburg,  who  visited  Palestine  shortly 
after  the  defeat  of  the  army  of  Baldwin  (1164),  comment  on  the  small 
number  of  inhabitants  in  the  cities,  yet  both  speak  of  having  met  with 
many  agricultural  settlements  and  with  many  Jewish  communities 
along  the  coast  from  Askelon  in  the  south  to  Gubail  in  the  north.  Ben¬ 
jamin  of  Tudela  came  across  Jews  of  great  wealth,  owners  of  ships  on 
the  sea,  manufacturers  of  glassware  and  sugar,  etc.  He  also  reports  that 
many  Rabbinic  academies  were  flourishing  in  the  city  of  Tyre.25 

A  return  to  Palestine  in  force  after  many  crushing  defeats  since  the 
revolt  of  Bar  Kochba  and  latter  days  was  out  of  the  question,  particu¬ 
larly  during  the  domination  of  the  Crusaders.  The  physical  being  of 
Israel  was  cowed  and  crushed.  Instead  of  using  physical  force 
Israel  resorted  to  fervent  prayers  for  the  rebirth  of  his  people.  The 


28  See  Early  Travelers  in  Palestine,  Bohn’s  Series. 


206 


NEW  JUDEA 


Messianic  sayings  of  the  prophets  became  the  only  consolation  and  com¬ 
fort  of  the  people.  Zion  assumed  a  prominent  place  in  Jewish  liturgy 
^and  poetry.  The  Jew,  attracted  by  mystic  and  Kabbalistic  speculations 
began  to  hope  for  a  miraculous  intervention  which  would  restore  the 
Holy  Land  to  him.  But  there  was  always  a  remnant  in  Israel  who  was 
ready  to  undertake  the  perilous  journey  to  the  beloved  land. 

The  most  noted  visitor  of  that  period  was  the  celebrated 
Hebrew  poet  and  Arabic  scholar,  Al-Harizi,  who  journeyed  through 
Palestine  in  1216.  He  reports  that  he  found  there  many  large  Jewish  com¬ 
munities  wherein  he  was  received  with  kind  hospitality  and  where  his 
poetical  work  was  greatly  appreciated.20  The  same  writer  also  mentions 
the  fact  that  in  1199  Jerusalem  passed  from  Christian  to  Mohamme¬ 
dan  rule  and  that  Jews  were  again  permitted  to  live  there.  Evidently  he 
refers  to  the  capture  of  Palestine  by  Saladin,  when  Palestine  became  a 
haven  of  refuge  and  Jews  from  near  and  far  flocked  to  their 
beloved  fatherland.  Chroniclers  note  the  fact  that  a  large  number  of 
Rabbis  from  France  and  England — with  their  cortege — headed  by  Rabbi 
Samuel  ben  Simson,  migrated  to  Palestine  in  the  year  1209. 

Another  large  Jewish  exodus  took  place  toward  the 
oad  of  the  thirteenth  century  when  pillage,  murder,  arson,  and  extor¬ 
tion  threatened  the  very  life  of  the  German  Jews.  These  refugees 
having  heard  that  Palestine  offers  equal  rights  and  protection  to  their 
race,  under  the  reign  of  the  Mongolian  Khan  Argur  and  his  Jewish 
minister,  Se’d-ad-Daulah,  returned  to  Palestine.27 

The  sentiment  of  the  German  Jews  for  Palestine  must  have  been 
strong  during  the  thirteenth  century,  Rabbi  Meir  of  Rothenberg,  the 
Tosafist,  at  the  risk  of  his  life,  was  conveying  a  group  of  emigrants  to 
Palestine.  History  records  the  fact  that  when  he  reached  Alsace  he 
was  arrested  and  imprisoned  where  he  died  a  tragic  death.  The  immi¬ 
gration  of  German  Jew  to  Palestine  was  by  no  means  confined  to  these 
few  instances.  In  a  letter  a  certain  Joseph  Zarphathi,  who  emigrated 
to  Turkey  in  his  early  youth,  calls  upon  his  German  co-religionists  to 
escape  from  the  German  house  of  bondage  and  settle  in  the  Turkish 
Empire. 

“If  the  German  Jew  would  realize  but  one-tenth  part  of  the  pros¬ 
perity  awaiting  them  in  Turkey  they  would  brave  rain  and  snow  and 


28  See  his  Tachkemoni  Makama  28. 
27  See  Gaster  Mac.,  1906,  p.  120. 


ISRAELS  CLAIM  ON  PALESTINE 


207 


they  would  rest  neither  by  night  nor  by  day  before  reaching  there. 
There  is  the  route  to  the  Holy  Land  lying  open  to  them  through  Tur¬ 
key.” 

Among  the  very  few  Jewish  travelers  who  came  to  Palestine  with 
the  intention  of  exploring  the  land,  was  Estori  ha-Farhi,  who  left 
France  in  the  year  1306  after  the  expulsion  of  the  Jews  from  that  coun¬ 
try.  He  came  to  Palestine  in  the  year  1313  and  settled  in  Beth-San 
near  Jerusalem.  He  avoided  the  Holy  City  because  of  the  Anti  Maimon- 
ides  sentiment  that  existed  in  Jerusalem.  Seven  years  he  explored  the 
land  and  made  scientific  observations  of  the  country.  His  book,  “Kaftor 
Va  Ferach,”  is  a  scientific  treatise  on  the  climatic  conditions  of  Palestine, 
its  geography,  the  ethnologic  character  of  its  population,  its  flora,  its 
fauna,  etc.  His  description  is  illuminating  and  is  of  great  service  even 
to  the  modern  student.  Estori  speaks  of  Jewish  communities  that  he  came 
across  during  his  travels  through  Palestine.  Even  in  Eglon,  beyond  the 
Jordan,  he  met  with  Jewish  settlements.  Estori  also  reports  that  Jews 
from  the  neighboring  countries  make  regular  pilgrimages  to  Jeru¬ 
salem  three  times  a  year.  28 

About  twenty  years  later  Rabbi  Isaac  Chelo,  of  Aragon,  visited 
Palestine.  The  records  he  left  are  extremely  interesting.  He  found 
the  Jews  of  Southern  Palestine  occupying  themselves  with  cattle-rais¬ 
ing.  Even  the  Rabbis  of  the  congregations  were  with  their  flocks-  Their 
disciples  received  instructions  in  the  law  under  the  bare  Palestinian  sky 
while  guarding  the  herd.  He  mentions  twenty-three  Jewish  villages 
that  pursued  the  pastoral  occupation. 

In  the  fifteenth  century  a  large  Jewish  immigration  from  Syria, 
Mesopotamia  and  Egypt  came  to  Palestine.  Some  of  these  occupied 
themselves  with  commerce;  others  engaged  in  agriculture.  Many  Jew¬ 
ish  scholars  from  Europe  came  there  and  opened  Rabbinic  academies 
and  Palestine  became  the  centre  of  learning.  In  Southern  Palestine 
many  Jews  engaged  in  pastoral  occupations  and  in  the  cities  they 
devoted  themselves  to  weaving  and  dyeing. 

The  expulsion  of  the  Jews  from  Spain  was  a  stunning  blow.  The 
Spanish  Jews  were  for  a  moment  dazed,  the  soil  of  Europe  was  quaking 
under  their  feet  and  in  their  despair  they  turned  eastward.  The  largest 


18  See  Kaftor  Va  Ferach,  Vol.  2,  1897-98.  Ed.  Moses  Luncz,  Jerusalem. 


208 


NEW  JUDEA 


bulk  settled  in  the  Turkish  Empire  where  they  were  treated  with 
kindness;  a  considerable  number  settled  also  in  Palestine. 

Palestine  was  greatly  benefited  by  the  large  immigration  from  Spain 
as  they  were  an  enterprising  people.  They  formed  large  communities 
with  great  schools  and  industrial  centers.  It  is  said  that  the  kind  Sultan 
Bajazet  of  Turkey,  when  he  heard  of  the  expulsion  of  the  Jews  from 
Spain,  exclaimed,  “How  can  you  call  Ferdinand  of  Aragon  a  wise  king? 
He  has  made  his  land  poor  and  enriched  ours.” 

Samuel  Usque,  the  author  of  the  “Consolacum  as  tribulacoes  de 
y'rsrael”  (  the  consolation  and  tribulations  of  Israel)  speaking  of  Turkey 
of  that  period  makes  the  followin  remarks  of  the  country  in 
which  most  of  his  brethren  from  the  Pyrennean  peninsula  found  an 
asylum:  “Great  Turkey  .  .  .  •  .  There  the  gates  of  freedom  and  equal 
opportunity  for  the  unhindered  practice  of  Jewish  worship  are  ever 
open  to  Israel ;  they  are  never  closed  against  thee,  there  thou  canst  re¬ 
new  thy  inward  life,  change  thy  condition,  strip  off  thy  habits,  cast 
away  erroneous  teaching,  recover  thy  ancient  truths  and  abandon  the 
practices  which,  by  the  violence  of  the  nations  among  which  thou  wast 
a  pilgrim,  thou  wast  forced  to  imitate,  in  this  land  thou  receivest 
boundless  grace  from  the  Lord  since  therein  he  granteth  thee  unlimited 
freedom  to  begin  by  repentance.26 

The  practical  Kabala  originated  with  “Ari”  (Isaac  Luria) 
and  his  disciples  of  the  famous  Safed  School  gave  expression 
to  much  melancholy  feeling  and  yearning  for  an  independent 
life  in  the  Holy  Land  and  gave  new  impetus  to  the  mys¬ 
tical  belief  in  the  coming  of  the  Messiah.  This  belief  filled  the 
heart  of  Solomon  Molcho — a  Marrano  youth  who  on  his  return  to  Juda¬ 
ism  proclaimed  the  speedy  regeneration  of  Israel.  (He  died  at  the 
stake  1532).  It  brought  to  the  Holy  Land  the  learned  codifier  Joseph 
Karo,  author  of  the  Shulchan  Aruch.  It  inspired  Israel  Najara, 
to  write  there  his  beautiful  poems,  both  religious  and  secular.  Some 
of  the  former  found  a  part  in  the  Liturgy  and  the  latter  are  still  sung 
on  festive  occasions.  It  gave  the  impulse  to  Solomon  Alkabez  to  write 


*8  See  Graetz  Geschichte  der  Juden,  2  ed.  lx.,  29;  also  Eng.  IV,  400. 


ISRAEL'S  CLAIM  ON  PALESTINE 


209 


the  poem  “Lecha  Dodi,”  and  it  supplied  the  Kabbalistic  movement,  to  a 
certain  extent,  a  religious  philisophy.29b 

The  contact  with  the  old  soil  brought  back  to  them  a  feeling  of 
the  old  glory  of  Spain.  Not  only  were  all  branches  of  learning  repre¬ 
sented  by  the  fugitives  of  Spain  in  their  new  land,  but  even  diplomacy 
found  its  representative  there,  in  the  person  of  Don  Joseph  Nasi. 

Duke  Joseph  di-Naxos  (Don  Joseph  Nasi)  was  a  Marano  Jew  who 
returned  to  Judaism  after  leaving  Spain  for  Turkey,  where  he  rose  to 
the  position  of  Grand  Vizier  at  the  court  of  Sultan  Suleiman,  the  Mag- 
nificient  (1580).  He  was  granted  permission  to  rebuild  the  city  Tiberias 
for  his  unfortunate  brethren  from  Spain.  Within  a  year  the  city  was  re¬ 
built  under  the  supervision  of  his  friend,  Joseph  ben  Adruth,  despite 
the  objection  raised  by  Arab  workmen,  who  had  a  super¬ 
stitious  belief  that  the  building  of  the  city  by  Jewish  people 
would  bring  the  Jews  domination  over  Palestine.  He  was  assisted  by 
his  noble  sister,  Donna  Gracia  Mendes,  who  expended  a  large  fortune 
on  that  enterprise.30 

Don  Joseph  imported  mulberry  trees  and  planted  them  there.  He 
built  silk  mills  and  weaveries  with  the  object  of  teaching  the  Jews,  for 
whom  the  city  was  rebuilt,  the  silk  industry.31  He  planted  gardens  and 
orange  groves  in  the  vicinity  of  Tiberias  and  issued  a  call  for  Jewish 
artisans  to  return  to  the  land  of  promise.33  Occasionally  he  was  suc¬ 
cessful  through  diplomatic  channels  to  revenge  himself  upon  European 
courts  in  retaliation  for  the  brutal  tortures  inflicted  upon  his  brethren.34 
He  surrounded  himself  by  a  group  of  intellectuals  by  bringing  to¬ 
gether  Jewish  scholars  and  poets.  The  Rabbi  again  played  the  part 
of  the  Patriarch.35 

29b  Safed  appears  to  have  displaced  in  latter  years  Tiberias  —  the  city  that  gave  us  the 
Bible  as  we  know  it  from  our  text  books,  as  well  as  from  the  Massora.  The  Tiberian  Jews 
were  the  authors  of  the  Hebrew  vowels  and  of  the  “Taamirn”  (signs  of  our  old  music),  and 
it  was  Ben  Asher,  of  Tiberias,  who  gave  us  the  first  Hebrew  grammar. 

s°  previous  to  this  he  wanted  to  buy  an  island  from  the  Republic  of  Venice  for  the  pur¬ 
pose  of  establishing  there  an  autonomous  colony.  For  some  reason  his  plan  did  not  mate¬ 
rialize. 

51  According  to  contemporary  Rabbis,  the  Jews  of  Tiberias  possessed  vineyards,  gardens 
and  groves,  and  sowed  flax,  cotton  and  wheat)  (Hamabia,  Vol.  I,  78). 

83  Emek  Habacha,  by  Joseph  Ha  Cohen,  Vienna,  1852;  Ayumah  Kanidgaloth,  by  Israel 
Unkenido,  Constantinople,  5637  A.  M. 

u  When  Pope  Paul  IV  ordered  to  imprison  the  Jews  of  Ancona  and  to  confiscate  their 
property,  he  (Don  Joseph)  was  urged  by  the  Sultan  to  retaliate  the  same  punishment  on  the 
Christian  subjects  of  Turkey,  and  when  the  French  Government  refused  to  pay  Don  Joseph 
an,  old  debt  because  he  returned  to  Judaism,  Sultan  Salim  ordered  the  detention  of  several 
French  ships  in  Turkish  waters. 

“Jewish  History,  M.  Dubnow,  p.  137,  Philadelphia,  1903. 


210 


NEW  JUDEA 


Not  long  after  Rabbi  Moses  Trani  visited  Palestine,  1629,  and  he 
reported  that  Palestine  Jews  busied  themselves  with  the  cultivation  of 
cotton,  the  planting  of  mulberry  trees,  raising  vegetables,  growing 
cereals,  breeding  the  silk  worm  and  with  Epiculture.37 

On  one  of  the  most  remote  and  secluded  mountains  in  Galilee,  in 
the  village  of  Bukeiah  (P’kiin),  were  found  (1795)  twenty  Jewish 
families  who  claim  to  be  the  descendants  of  those  that  tilled  the  land 
in  the  same  locality  prior  to  the  destruction  of  the  Temple.  Their 
occupation  is  farming,  and  to  all  appearances  they  are  Arabs.38  Rabbi 
Simcha  ben  Joshua  of  Poland  was  the  first  one  to  describe  the1  ancient 
Jewish  settlement  that  exists  in  Pkiin  (1795).  38b  380 

In  the  year  1740  Sheikh  Daher  of  Tiberias  invited  Hayim  Abualafia 
from  Smyrna  to  take  possession  of  the  district  of  Tiberias  for  his  Jewish 
brethren.  He  rebuilt  the  city  that  was  abandoned  by  the  Jews  170 
years  since  the  death  of  Don  Joseph  Nasi  and  he  colonized  Jews  in  lower 
Galilee.39 

He  bought  a  large  tractt  of  land  near  the  village  Shafa  ’Amr,  ancient 
Shfaraim,  in  Galilee,  near  Haifa,  to  lay  a  foundation  for  an  agricultural 
colony.  The  few  Jewish  families  that  still  live  there  claim  to  be  descend¬ 
ants  of  the  original  settlers  and  say  there  was  a  large  Jewish  settle¬ 
ment,  but  owing  to  the  heavy  tax  imposed  upon  them,  they  were  com¬ 
pelled  to  remove  to  Haifa  and  Tiberias  where  they  engaged  in  business. 
Only  seven  families  live  there  who  support  themselves  from  the  soil. 
Other  travelers  relate  similar  discoveries  tending  to  prove  that  the 
Jews  of  Palestine  were  interested  in  agriculture,  and  they  pursued  it 
when  possible  or  whenever  they  were  permitted  by  the  authorities  of 
Palestine. 

It  is  of  interest  to  note  that  Warner  Cresson,  the  American  Consul 
at  Jerusalem,  who  became  converted  to  Judaism  while  in  the  Holy  City, 
assuming  the  name,  Michael  C.  Boaz,  Israel,  secured  a  tract  of  land 
in  the  valley  of  Rephaim,  near  Jerusalem,  to  establish  a  Jewish  colony 
there.  He  was  aided  in  his  work  by  the  late  Rev.  Isaac  Leeser,  whom 
he  met  before  he  left  his  native  town,  Philadelphia  (1852).  His  object 

*T  Responsa  of  Rabbi  Moses  Trani. 

38  See  Haifa,  by  Laurence  Oliphant,  p.  108. 

38b  Ahabath  Zion,  p.  54. 

38cAt  the  end  of  the  eighteenth  century  Napoleon,  after  conquering  Egypt,  crossed  the 
Desert  El  Arish  and  marched  with  a  large  army  by  way  of  the  Sharon  as  far  as  Acre.  On 
the  way  he  took  all  the  cities  along  the  coast.  His  object  was  to  take  Jerusalem.  He  offered 
to  present  the  Holy  Land  to  the  Jews  and  to  restore  the  ancient  glory  of  Jerusalem  if  the 
Jews  from  Asia  and  Africa  would  join  his  forces,  but  the  Jews  declined  the  offer,  because 
they  distrusted  him. 

39  He  was  a  Beduine  of  thei  tribe  Sons  of  Zidan. 


ISRAELS  CLAIM  ON  PALESTINE 


211 


is  explained  in  the  following  declaration,  “The  prevailing  distress  is  to 
be  relieved  by  the  settlement  of  agricultural  colonies,  and  the  oppressed 
of  Israel  in  all  parts  of  the  world  would  be  enabled  to  return  to  Zion-” 
His  efforts,  as  those  of  many  of  his  predecessors,  failed  because  of  lack 
of  support.39 

As  early  as  1839  Montefiore  laid  plans  to  establish  some  families 
from  Safed  as  agriculturists.  “The  land  in  this  neighborhood,”  he 
writes  in  his  diary,  “appears  to  be  particularly  favorable  for  agricultural 
speculation.  There  are  groves  of  olive  trees,  I  should  think,  more  than 
five  hundred  years  old ;  vinyeards,  much  pasture,  plenty  of  wells  and  an 
abundance  of  excellent  fields  of  wheat,  barley,  and  lentils ;  in  fact,  it  is 
a  land  that  would  produce  almost  everything  in  abundance,  with  very 
little  skill  and  labor.  I  am  sure  if  the  plan  I  have  in  contemplation 
should  succeed,  it  will  be  the  means  of  introducing  happiness  and  plenty 
into  the  Holy  Land.”  He  hoped  to  get  a  grant  of  land  from  the  Sultan 
Mehemet  Ali  of  Egypt.  “This  grant  obtained,”  he  said,  “I  shall,  please 
Heaven,  on  my  return  to  England,  form  a  company  for  the  culti¬ 
vation  of  the  land  and  the  encouragement  of  our  brethren  in  Europe 
to  return  to  Palestine.  By  degrees  I  hope  to  induce  the  return  of  thou¬ 
sands  of  our  brethren  to  the  land  of  Israel.  I  am  sure  they  would  be  happy 
in  the  enjoyment  of  the  observance  of  their  holy  religion,  in  a  manner 
which  is  impossible  in  Europe.”40  His  enterprise,  however,  owing  to 
epidemic  civil  war,  and  lack  of  support,  was  short  lived.  On  his  fourth 
visit  (1855)  he  purchased  a  large  garden  near  Jaffa,  called  the  Monte¬ 
fiore  Garden.  The  project  of  Laurence  Oliphant  which  had  the  unof¬ 
ficial  approval  of  Lord  Beaconsfield  and  his  foreign  secretary,  Lord 
Salisbury,  to  obtain  concession  of  the  Turkish  Government  for  the 
establishing  of  a  colony  beyond  the  Jordan,  did  not  fare  any  better. 

In  the  early  fifties  of  the  last  century — in  consequence  of  the  ritual 
murder  accusation  against  the  Jews  of  Damascus  (1840) — considerable 
agitation  was  set  on  foot  throughout  Europe,  aiming  at  ' the  return  of 
the  Jews,  to  the  Holy  Land. 

Cremieux  appears  to  have  been  imbued  with  the  love  for  Palestine. 
In  an  address  delivered  during  the  winter  of  1869  he  remarks:  “While 
we  are  blessed  with  the  liberty  and  prosperity  in  our  adopted  country, 
we  must  not  forget  the  land  of  the  fathers.  .  •  .  .  We  are  contem¬ 

plating  to  establish  a  school  in  which  Jewish  youths  will  be  taught  in  a 

‘•Jewish  Encyclopoedia.  Vol.  IV,  p.  354;  Occident,  by  Isaac  Leeser  (1853-56).  Pub.  Am. 
Jewish  Historical  Society  VIII. 

40  See  diary  of  Moses  Montefiore,  Vol  I,  p.  1839.  Chicago.  1890. 


212 


NEW  JUDEA 


scientific  manner  the  cultivation  of  the  soil  of  the  land  upon  which  every 
Jew  looks  with  reverence.  .  . 

“Palestine  was  always  a  land  of  plenty  as  it  is  even  today,  but  now 
its  possibilities  are  greater.  It  is  much  easier  to  promote  agricultural 
industry  in  Palestine  because  of  its  better  transportation  facilities.  The 
road  that  took  our  ancestors  forty  years  to  pass  is  covered  in  a  few  hours 
now,  and  if  the  agricultural  resources  of  the  land  of  promise  be  proper¬ 
ly  developed  we  will  create  a  home  for  Israel  scattered  all  over  the 
world.  We  shall  then  see  a  new  Jerusalem  whose  inhabitants  will  no 
longer  weep  over  the  stones  of  the  temple  wall,  but  working  out  their 
salvation  on  the  soil,  they  will  build  a  new  temple  and  Jewish  pilgrims 
will  again  make  their  entry  into  the  Holy  City  on  the  Holy  festivals  as 
in  the  days  of  yore.41  He  and  Solomon  Munk,  who  made  a  journey  to 
Syria  on  behalf  of  their  brethren  in  Damascus,  took  the  opportunity  to 
study  the  condition  of  Palestine  and  Syria  at  close  range. 

Upon  their  return  the  attention  of  West  European  Jewry  was 
called  to  the  deplorable  condition  of  their  brethren  in  the  East.  They 
suggested  as  a  measure  of  relief  the  colonization  of  Palestine  by  Jews. 
The  Jews  of  Europe  began  to  realize  that  they  had  an  important  duty 
td  perform  toward  their  brethren  in  the  near  east.  Those  that  were  not 
biased  by  cosmopolitan  ideas  accepted  the  agricultural  colonization  of 
Palestine  as  a  solution  of  the  Eastern  European  Jewish  question. 

The  beginning  of  a  systematic  colonization  of  Jews  in  Palestine  dates 
from  the  early  fifties  of  the  last  century  when  a  number  of  Moroccan 
Jews  purchased  a  tract  of  land  near  Nazareth — A1  Shafa-Amr,  and 
cultivated  olives  and  cereals,  and  with  Kalischer  who:  in  the  year  1879 
purchased  127  acres  of  land  in  the  ancient  village  Kolonya,  41b  near 
Jerusalem,  with  funds  he  collected  from  his  countrymen  in  Germany, 
and  established  several  families  there  who  engaged  in  viticulture  and 
truck  farming  for  the  Jerusalem  market.  He  named  the  colony 
“Mozah.”  42 

“Mozah  is  the  summer  resort  of  the  Jews  of  the  Holy  City,  and 
Jewish  pilgrims  are  attracted  to  Mozah  to  see  the  ‘Herzl  Cedar’  (Erez 
Herzl),  planted  by  the  Zionist  leader  when  he  visited  Palestine  to  meet 
the  German  Kaiser  (1902).” 

41  The  Babylonian  Talmud  says  that  the  willows  growing  near  the  streams  were  brought 
from  Kolonya  to  Jerusalem  for  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles,  showing  that  modern  Mazah  occupies 
a  fertile  position.  See  Sukka  45  :2.. 

41b  Bui.  Alliance  Israelite  Universalle,  1809. 

42  Contrary  to  the  belief  among  Zionists  that  Petach  Tikvah  is  the  oldest  colony,  Mozah 
appears  to  enjoy  that  distinction. 


ISRAELS  CLAIM  ON  PALESTINE 


213 


The  foregoing-  narrative  I  hope  has  demonstrated  the  fact  that  in 
every  age  and  land  throughout  Jewish  history,  oppression  and  brutal 
treatment  on  the  part  of  hostile  neighbors  called  forth  a  strong  reaction 
in  favor  of  Palestine.  Whether  the  means  employed  was  in  the  form 
of  a  great  school  or  colonization,  the  aim  was  identical.  Moses  and  Ezra, 
Rabbi  Akiba,  Saadia,  Yehuda  Halevi,  Nachmanides,  Rabbi  Yechiel  of 
Paris,  Joseph  Karo,  Jehuda,  the  pious;  Jacob  Berab,  Hirsch  Kalischer, 
Theodore  Herzl  and  a  host  of  others  had  the  same  object  in  view.  It  is 
not  only  the  quantity  of  the  original  large  Jewish  population  that  gives 
force  to  the  Jewish  claim  on  Palestine-  But  the  stubborn  perseverence 
of  the  suffering  minority  that  never  abandoned  its  struggle  of  the 
rehabilitation  of  their  beloved  land.43 

The  religious  motives  of  the  early  Rabbis,  the  erroneous  ideas  of  the 
pseudo  Messiahs  and  the  practical  schemes  of  modern  Zionists  were  to 
regain  possession  of  beloved  Palestine.  The  practical  enterprises  of 
Don  Joseph  Nasi,  the  political  schemes  of  David  Reubeni  (1490-1535), 
the  fanatic  ideas  of  his  successor,  Solomon  Molcho,  the  blunders  of  Sab- 
bathai  Zevi,  the  cabalistic  doctrine  of  Solomon  Luria  and  his  Sefad 
School  of  Mystics,  the  principles  of  the  Hovevei  Zion  as  promulgated 
by  Pinsker  and  Smolenskin,  the  “Jewish  state”  as  advocated  by  Herzl, 
Nordau  and  the  spiritual  Zionism  of  Achad  Haam,  had  all  one  main 
object  in  view — the  return  of  Israel  to  his  ancestral  land. 

Nothing  of  a  tangible  character,  however,  seems  to  have  been  ef¬ 
fected  until  the  early  eighties  when  a  systematic  colonization  of  Pales¬ 
tine  on  a  large  scale  by  Jews  of  Eastern  Europe:  began.  The  new 
Jewish  peasantry,  as  shown  in  this  volume,  will  leave  no  doubt  that 
Jews  are  capable  of  becoming  again  successful  farmers,  and  the  half 
hundred  Jewish  colonies  established  in  Palestine  during  the  last  four 
decades  bear  testimony  to  the  fact  that  whatever  the  ability  of  the  Jew 
as  a  tiller  of  the  soil  in  other  lands  may  be,  in  his  own  land  he  surely 
is  becoming  a  good  agriculturist. 

The  question,  however,  is  frequently  asked:  “Is  Palestine  of  today 
capable  of  cultivation?” 


_  LF*?  numb^  only  350,000,  among  1,000,000  Turks  and  Albanians.  Nevertheless 

nru  UR  dred  ag-o  theip  absolute  right  to  their  historical  land,  and 

the  immortal  poet,  Lord  Byron,  died  on  a  battlefield  of  Greece  fighting  for  a  minority. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


POSSIBILITIES  OF  PALESTINE 

To  the  tourist  who  enters  Palestine  in  the  arid  season  by  way  of 
Jaffa,  checks  his  baggage  at  some  hotel  and  takes  the  first  train  to  the 
Holy  City,  remains  in  Jerusalem  a  few  days  and,  if  possible,  runs  down 
to  Jericho,  cutting  through  the  wilderness  of  Judea,  and  returns  to- 
Jaffa  to  make  connection  with  some  boat  that  is  to  take  him  back  to 
a  European  port,  the  question  often  arises,  where  is  the  land  flowing 
with  milk  and  honey?1 

In  order  to  answer  this  queston  tntelligently  it  is  necessary  to 
consider  the  geographical  position  of  Palestine,  the  character  of  the  soil, 
its  suitability  for  agricultural  pursuits,  its  climate,  its  topography,  its 
geologic  structure,  its  natural  resources  and  other  factors  that  may  have 
some  bearing  on  the  condition  of  the  land. 

The  boundaries  of  Palestine  have  always  been  somewhat  indefinite. 
They  underwent  continual  changes  during  the  period  of  Jewish  national 
independence. 

The  land  of  promise  as  described  in  Samuel 2  which  was  actually 
occupied  by  the  Israelitic  tribes,  extended  from  the  mouth  of  the  Litany 
or  Kasimiya  River  (33°  20'  N.),  the  territory  of  Dan,  in  the  north;  to 
Wadi  Chuzza,  that  runs  into  the  sea  a  short  distance  south  of  Gaza* * 
(31°  28'  N.),  a  distance  of  180  miles,  and  from  the  Jordan  in  the  east 
to  the  great  sea  in  the  west — an  average  area  of  about  50  miles. 

East  of  the  Jordan  the  limits  are  from  the  Hermon  to  the  mouth  of 
the  Mojib  (Arnon),  and  from  the  Jordan  to  the  Arabian  dessert,  an  area 
of  about  4500  square  miles;  the  total  area  of  Palestine  is  about  14,500 
square  miles. 

The  land  of  occupation  is  about  the  same  area  as  Maryland,  or 
somewhat  larger  than  that  of  New  Jersey  or  Massachusetts. 

1  It  is  indeed  strange  that  a  small  country  like  Palestine,  on  which  such  an  immense  num¬ 
ber  of  books  have  been  written  and  where  so  much  exploration,  has  been  going  on,  should 
have  remained  a  terra  incognita  as  far  as  the  public  at  large  is  concerned. 

*  II  Sam.  iii:10.  See  also  Gen.  x:19;  Judg.  xx:l. 

’  The  Wadi  turn  into  a  southeasterly  direction  and  takes  in  the  northern  side  of  Beer 
Sheba. 


214 


POSSIBILITIES  OF  PALESTINE 


The  larger  Palestine,  as  described  by  Moses,4  begins  from  the 
river  of  Egypt,  (Wadi-El  Arish)  or  the  “Water  of  Strife,”  on  the  south  R 
to  the  entrances  of  Hamath,  (Hama)  at  the  mouth  of  the  Orontes,6  and 
along  the  river  of  Antioch,  (36  N.  latitude)  and  from  the  western  border 
of  the  Arabian  desert  in  the  east,  to  the  Mediterranean  coast  in  the 
west,  the  extreme  length  of  the  land  of  promise,  is  360  miles,  the  breadth 
is  100  miles,  embracing  approximately  28,000  square  miles,  about  the 
area  of  North  Carolina,  or  the  combined  dimensions  of  Massachusetts, 
New  Hampshire  and  Vermont. 

Palestinian  Jews  have  always  claimed  a  still  greater  area — the  land 
promised  to  Abraham.7  “Erez  Israel,”  they  hold,  extends  from  the  Eu¬ 
phrates  in  the  north  to  the  Nile  in  the  South.  Maimonides  and  Jewish 
geographers  of  the  middle  ages  such  as  Estori  ha-Farhi  claim  that  the 
Erez  Israel  promised  to  Abraham  included  all  the  islands,  and  coast 
within  the  extreme  north  and  south  latitude.  They  include  even  Baby¬ 
lonia  and  islands  towards  the  west,  situated  within  the  latitude  of  the 
Palestinian  coast,  in  some  of  these  lands  large  Jewish  settlements  ex¬ 
isted. 

Rabbi  Joseph  Schwarz,  of  Jerusalem,  a  recognized  authority  on 
Palestine,  agrees  in  the  main  with  Estori  Ha-Farhi.8 

Thhe  northern  border  is  identified  with  “Jebel  el-Akra,”  a  mountain 
situated  on  the  sea  coast  between  Laodicea  and  Alexandretta,  accord¬ 
ingly  the  territory  extends  for  more  than  ioo  miles  farther  notrh.  9 

Modern  writers  differ  as  to  the  area  of  Palestine-  The  French  ex¬ 
plorer,  Vital  Cuinet,  finds  Palestine  as  large  as  86,000.00  Km.  (about 
48,000.00  miles).  On  the  other  hand  Jewish  writers  such  as  Nawratzky 
and  Trietsch  say  the  area  is  only  27,000.00  Km.  (1400.00  miles). 

But  while  the  borders  of  Jewish  Palestine  are  somewhat  indefinite 
the  landmarks  of  Turkish  Palestine  cannot  be  questioned.  It  is  located 
between  the  Mediterranean  Sea  and  the  Syrian  Arabian  desert,  and  be¬ 
tween  the  Lebanon  Protectory  in  the  north  and  the  desert  El-Tih  and 
the  Wadi-El-Araba  in  the  south.  It  is  250  km.  (about  150  miles  long)r 
and  120  km.  (about  75  miles  broad).  Its  dimension  is  about  eleven 

*  Num,  xxxv  :2-l 2. 

•See  Ezek.  xlvii:19;  Num.  xxxlv:7. 

*  Now  El  Azi. 

T  Gen.  xv  :18. 

*  See  Descriptive  Geography  of  Palestine.  Phila.,  1850. 

•Mount  Hor  (Num.  xxxlv:7. 


216 


NEW  JUDEA 


thousand  two  hundred  and  fifty  square  miles,  or  somewhat  smaller  than 
the  area  of  Switzerland. 

The  land  of  occupation  at  one  time  supported  a  population  of  over 
three  millions.  The  number  of  men  able  to  bear  arms,  who  came  into 
Palestine,  is  said  to  have  been  603,550  besides  women  and  children.10 
This  would  mean  a  total  of  between  two  and  three  millions.  In  David’s 
time  the  population,  according  to  the  census  taken  by  Joab,  appears  to 
have  been  between  five  and  six  millions.  There  were  800,000  men  of 
military  age,  from  Israel,  and  500,000  from  Judah.11 

In  the  battle  between  Abijah,  King  of  Judah,  and  Jeroboam,  king  of 
Israel,  1,200,000  Jewish  soldiers  participated.12  King  Asa  had  an  army 
out  of  Judah  300,000  and  of  Benjamites  280, 000. 13  The  standing  army  of 
Johosophat  was  1,i6o,ooo,  and  that  of  Amaziah  300,000  from  Judah, 
and  100,000  of  Israel.14 

These  Biblical  figures  are  corroborated  by  Assyrian  inscriptions, 
where  it  is  pointed  out  that  Shenn-achereb  who  attacked  Judah  in  the 
days  of  Hezkiah,15  took  away  with  him  200,150  Judean  soldiers,  captured 
fifty  fortified  cities,  and  a  large  number  of  towns  and  villages.16  These 
figures  furnish  conclusive  evidence  that  in  Judea,  the  least  fertile  region 
of  western  Palestine,  the  population  was  ten  times  larger  than  at  present. 

What  is  true  of  Judeah  is  also  true  of  Galilee.  According  to  Josephus, 
at  the  time  of  Jesus,  Galilee  appeared  like  a  sea  of  homes  closely  huddled 
together.  Socin  claims17  that  in  its  flourishing  days  Galilee  had  a  popu¬ 
lation  of  120  persons  to  the  square  km.  Captain  Burton  in  his  ‘‘Unex¬ 
plored  Syria,”  states  that  when  Galilee  is  observed  from  certain  heights 
of  the  Lebanons  the  country  appears  like  one  destroyed  city.18 

The  density  of  population  in  modern  Palestine  is  only  62  per  square 
mile.  Taking  as  a  standard  the  average  density  of  Germany,  which  is 


1C  Num.  i  :46. 

11 II  Sam.  xxiv:9.  See  also  I  Chron.  xxl:5. 

12 II  Chron.  xiii:3. 

u  II  Chron. iv  :7. 

14  Chron.  xxv:5;  also  II  Chron.  xvii  :14-15-16-17-18. 

15  II  Kings  xviii  :13-16. 

18  Records  of  the  Past,  Vol.  I,  p.  38. 

17  See  article  “Palestine”  in  the  Encyclopedia  Biblica. 

18  The  land  was  divided  as  follows:  The  tribes  of  Judah,  Benjamin,  Simon  and  Dan 
occupied  the  South;  Ephraim,  Issachar  and  half  of  Manasseh,  the  Middle;  Zebulun,  Naphtali 
■and  Asher,  the  North,  and  Reuben,  Gad,  and  the  other  half  of  Manasseh  settled  beyond  the 
Jordan,  in  the  fertile  land  of  Gilead  and  Bashan.  After  the  land  was  conquered  by  the  Ro¬ 
mans  the  old  tribal  landmarks  were  removed  and  the  division  into  provinces  such  as  Judea 
Samaria  and  Galilee  was  changed  into  Palestine  Prima,  including  Judea  Samaria  and  the 
valley  of  Jesreel,  with  Caesarea  as  its  capital ;  Palestine  Secunda,  represented  by  the 
northern  part,  with  Tiberias  as  its  capital,  Palestine,  Tertia  occupying  the  extreme  lower 
part,  such  as  the  land  of  Edom,  etc.  East  of  the  Jordan  was  called  Provincia  Arabia. 


POSSIBILITIES  OF  PALESTINE  217 

294  persons  to  the  square  mile,  or  of  France,  which  is  about  200  to  the 
square  mile,  there  is  room  even  in  Turkish  Palestine  for  a  population  of 
2,295,500  to  3,000,000. 

Comparing  Palestine  with  other  countries  of  areas  ranging  from 

one-sixth  to  double  the  area  of  Palestine,  even  a  larger  population  can  be 
claimed  for  it. 


Countries 

Area  Sq.  M. 

Population. 

Per  Sq.  M.. 

Palestine19  . 

.  .11,250 

700,000 

62 

Massachusetts  . 

.  .  8,266 

3,366,416 

407 

New  Jersey  . 

.  .  8,224 

2,537,167 

308 

Connecticut  . 

..  4,965 

1,114,756 

227 

Switzerland  . 

.  .15,951 

3,315,443 

207 

Belgium  . 

.  .11,373 

7,074,910 

622 

Duchy  of  Brunswick . 

.  .  1,418 

485,958 

342 

Saxony  . 

..  5,789 

4,508,601 

779 

Denmark  . 

.  .14,829 

2,449,540 

165 

Hessen  . 

.  .  2,960 

1,209,175 

407 

Baden  . 

.  .  5,823 

2,010,728 

343 

Alsace  Lorraine . 

..  5,604 

1,814,564 

324 

Posen  . 

.  .11,000 

2.000,000 

181 

Greece  . 

.  .24,400 

2,631,951 

107 

Servia  . 

.  .18,451 

4,000,000 

211 

Lebanon  . . . 

.  .  1,950 

400,000 

205 

The  density  of  the  population 

of  Palestine 

as  shown  in 

the  above 

table,  comparing  it  wth  some  of  our  States,  is  about  six  and  one-half 
times  less  than  Massachusetts,  five  times  less  than  New  Jersey,  four 
times  less  than  Connecticut.  In  other  words,  if  we  compare  it  to  Massa¬ 
chusetts,  Palestine  can  take  in  4,000,000  people  more;  to  New  Jersey, 
2,800,000  more,  and  to  Connecticut,  2,100,000  more. 

If  the  density  of  the  population  of  Palestine  is  compared  with  some 
of  the  European  States  (Saxony,  for  example),  Palestine  can  admit  a 
still  large  population.  But  the  possibilities  of  Palestine  are  best  shown 
by  comparison  with  the  state  of  Lebanon,  its  northern  neighbor,  which 
has  a  per  square  mile  population  of  over  3l/2  times  more  than  Pales¬ 
tine,  though  her  natural  resources  are  far  inferior.19  19b 

Conder,  who  is  considered  an  authority  on  Palestine,  is  of  the  opin¬ 
ion  that  the  larger  Palestine  is  capable  of  being  inhabitated  by  a  large 

19  According  to  the  census  of  Dr.  Rupin  (1915)  the  population  in  Palestine  is  1,079,204,. 
among  whom  are  found  130.000  Jews. 

19b  Only  one-tenth  of  the  Palestinian  soil  is  being  cultivated.  It  is  reasonable  to  assume 
that  if  all  the  land  will  be  developed  the  country  could  admit  ten  times  as  many1  people. 


218 


NEW  JUDEA 


population.  “Unless  some  change  in  climate  has  occurred  which  ren¬ 
dered  that  impossible,  I  estimated  some  years  ago,  after  going  over  the 
whole  country  and  investigating  the  ancient  ruins,  that  in  its  prosperous 
state  it  must  have  had  a  population  of  at  least  ten  million  more  than 
at  present.”20 

In  estimating  the  future  capability  of  the  land,  it  must  be  borne  in 
mind  that  horticulture  can  sustain  a  much  larger  community  than  a  land 
restricted  to  agriculture  only.  The  fertile  regions  of  Japan  and  China 
are  inhabited  by  fourteen  hundred  persons  to  each  square  mile. 

But  the  question  may  be  asked :  Can  modern  Palestine,  devastated 
and  neglected  for  two  thousand  years,  be  made  as  productive  a  country 
as  the  lands  enumerated  in  the  above  table?  Can  it  again  be  regenerated 
into  a  land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey?  These  questions  can  only  be 
answered  intelligently  when  we  examine  the  causes  that  were  respon¬ 
sible  for  the  present  sterile  state.  If  the  reason  of  the  present  degen¬ 
erated  condition  lies  in  natural  changes  of  climate,  such  as  a  decrease  of 
rain,  change  in  temperature  and  other  factors  beyond  human  con¬ 
trol,  then  it  is  useless  to  expect  energy  and  money  to  bring  back  the 
former  fruitfulness  of  the  land.  But  if  the  causes  for  such  changes  lie 
in  the  mismanagement,  neglect  and  destruction  through  continuous  war, 
bad  government,  ignorance  of  agriculture  or  such  other  reasons  as  can 
be  attributed  to  human  weakness  or  wickedness,  then  there  is  no  reason 
why  Palestine  should  not  regain  its  former  strength  if  the  causes  are 
removed. 

Authorities  differ  as  to  the  cause  of  the  present  state  in  Palestine. 
Both  views  have  champions  among  specialists.  Authorities  such  as 
Fischer,  Zumoffen,  Hull  and  Fraas,  favor  the  thory  that  natural  changes 
have  taken  place  in  Palestine  within  historic  times.21 

On  the  other  hand  Palestinean  explorers  such  as  Ankel,  Lartet, 
Warrens,  Wilson  Conder,  George  Adam  Smith,  Hilderscheide  and  many 
others  firmly  believe  that  no  permanent  changes  of  climate  or  other 

20  The  Reverend  G.  E.  Post,  of  Beyrout,  whose  knowledge  of  Palestine  is  authoritative,  is 
of  the  opinion  that  Palestine  is  capable  of  sustaining  a  large  population.  “Those  plants  which 
require  moisture,”  says  Post,  “find  there  those  which  flourish  best  without  it,  are  also  suited. 

Hence  almost  every  foot  of  land  not  actually  rock  produces  something  directly  or 
indirectly  useful  to  man.  Given  a  carefully  prepared  soil  and  sufficient  water,  there  seems 
no  limit  to  the  agricultural  possibilities  of  this  land  of  fertilizing  sunshine.” 

21  Reclus,  who  is  considered  the  foremost  geographical  student,  and  Livingstone,  who 
made  a  thorough  study  of  the  climatic  conditions  in  Central  Africa  on  his  last  great  journey, 
are  also  of  the  opinion  that  although  the  geologic  structure  and  topography  of  a  land  does 
not  change,  the  climatic  conditions  of  a  country  may  change. 


POSSIBILITIES  OF  PALESTINE 


219 


changes  beyond  human  control  have  taken  place  within  human  memory. 

The  weight  of  expert  opinion  of  recent  writers  based  upon  close 
observation  and  developments  in  the  Holy  Land  lies  with  those  who 
believe  that  no  change  of  a  permanent  character  in  the  geologic  struc¬ 
ture  or  climatic  condition  has  taken  place  within  historc  times.23 

Since  Titus,  the  son  of  Vespasian,  stripped  the  hills  about  Jerus¬ 
alem  of  their  magnificent  olive  groves,  Palestine  has  been  exposed  to 
predatory  bands  of  Beduins  who,  roaming  across  the  land,  put  the  torch 
to  forests  and  shrubs,  in  order  to  assure  large  crops  of  grass  for  their 
flocks  the  following  spring.  The  insecurity  of  property,  the  constant 
change  of  government,  the  imposition  of  exorbitant  tax  on  fruit  trees — 
which  drove  the  fellah  to  cut  down  venerable  trees  and  sell  the  wood 
for  fuel,  instead  of  planting  new  trees,  for  which  privilege  more  revenue 
was  demanded  than  the  trees  could  possibly  yield — the  religious  ani¬ 
mosities  between  rival  sects,  the  ignorance  of  the  peasantry  in  the  art 
of  agriculture,  and  many  other  factors,  had  a  tendency  to  destroy  the 
forests  of  the  mountainous  regions  of  southern  Syria  and  to  make  it  ap¬ 
pear  to  the  superficial  observer  as  a  vast  limestone  quarry  incapable  of 
yielding  any  harvest. 

It  is  well  known  what  effect  the  disappearance  of  the  great  forests 
had  in  Germany,  as  also  what  the  fall  of  the  large  trees  which 
shaded  the  bare  landscapes  of  Attica  had  on  Greece.  24  The  people  of 
Malta  import  new  soil  from  Sicily  for  the  raising  of  vegetables,  while 
in  the  days  of  Paul,  Malta  was  considered  a  fertile  land  particularly  rich 
in  forests. 25  Within  the  memory  of  men  of  the  past  generation  the  Island 
of  Syra  on  the  Aegan  Sea  was  covered  with  forests ;  now  it  has  become 
nothing  more  than  a  barren  rock. 

Writers  down  to  the  period  of  the  Crusaders  describe  large  forests 
in  the  northern  part  of  Sharon  where  there  are  now  few  trees  and  one 
meets  with  enormous  roots  here  and  there  even  in  the  barren  table  land 
of  Judea. 

The  Hebrew  word  for  woods,  “Yaar,”  appears  in  the  Bible  in  de¬ 
scription  of  spots,  where  there  are  now  very  few  trees  and  the  palm 

35  “If  we  accept  the  latter  theory,”  says  Elsworth  Huntington,  “a  choice  must  be  made 
between  two  horns  of  the  dilemma.  It  is  necessary  either  to  accept  the  view  of  a  certain 
school  of  critics,  who  hold  that  the  Biblical  writers  indulged  in  undue  hyperbole,  or  else  to 
believe  with  the  old-time  theologians,  that  in  the  ancient  days  God  interrupted  the  course  of 
nature  in  favor  of  the  chosen  people.  If,  on  thei  other  hand,  we  reject  the  theory,  ‘a  large 
number  of  narratives  which  now  seem  improbable  become  reasonable.’  ”  (See  Palestine  and 
Its  Transformation,  p.  250. 

24  Stanley’s  Palestine,  p.  121. 

25  Acts  xxviii  :l-3. 


220 


NEW  JUDEA 


groves  which  flourished  during  the  days  of  Cleopatra  in  the  Jordan 
valley  have  almost  disappeared  now.  (Note  13.) 

Indeed  the  simple  truth  is  that  the  Turks  have  not  kept  the  land  as 
well  wooded  as  they  found  it.  The  denudation  of  foliage  and  herbage 
during  their  domination  permitted  the  scorching  rays  of  the  sun  to  pene¬ 
trate  more  intensely  into  the  soil,  promoted  evaporation,  caused  the 
springs  to  dry  and  fountains  to  fail,  increased  the  absorbing  capacities 
of  the  soil,  and  deprived  it  of  its  productiveness ;  but  where  the  valley  is 
clothed  with  verdure  such  as  the  Sharon  and  the  mountains  with  forests 
such  as  the  Carmel,  a  large  quantity  of  moisture  is  retained  in  the 
ground.  A  lower  temperature  exists  in  the  atmosphere  and  the  clouds 
are  drawn  down  to  these  spots,  in  accordance  with  the  laws  of  meteor¬ 
ology.  The  denudation  of  land  of  its  foliage  has  another  injurious  effect. 
It  diminshes  the  summer  showers,  which  are  indispensable  for  the 
growth  of  fruit  and  vegetables.  26-27 

Conder  deduces  the  following  conclusion :  “The  character  of  the 
wooded  growth  is  unchanged  but  the  districts  covered  by  wood  have 
on  the  whole  materially  decreased.”  Hilderscheide  and  Ankel  argue:  “If 
the  population  of  Palestine  was  much  denser  than  it  is  now,  it  is  self- 
evident  that  the  opportunities  for  forests  were  poor,  particularly  when 
the  entire  nation  practised  agriculture.” 

How  much  of  the  fields  of  Palestine  were  forests  remains  a  prob¬ 
lem.  All  agree,  however,  that  the  land  was  at  one  time  very  productive.25 
In  the  happier  days  during  the  Jewish  commonwealth  under  Biblical 
laws  and  enlightened  government,  no  part  of  Palestine  was  waste. 29 
Its  fertile  hills  were  cultivated  in  artificial  terraces.  More  rocky 
and  barren  districts  were  converted  into  vineyards  and  olive  groves. 
Traces  of  former  fertility  are  to  be  found  in  the  discoveries  of  ancient 
terraces,  old  agricultural  implements — such  as  might  have  been  used  in 

26  George  Adam  Smith  and  Hilderscheide  are  of  the  opinion  that  even  in  the  forestry  of 
Palestine  there  was  not  much  of  a  change  during  the  last  3000  years.  Forests  such  as  we 
have  in  Europe  or  America  never  grew  there. 

27  The  Hebrew  word  “yaar”  ought  to  be  rendered  woodland  or  perhaps  only  copse  or 
jungle.  “Choresh”  does  not  necessarily  imply  timber  trees,  but  rather  underwood,  such  as 
still  exists.  “Etz”  does  imply  timber  trees,  but  does  not  necessarily  mean  forest.  Professor 
Smith  is  of  a  firm  opinion  that  the  land  was  never  more  wooded  than  it  is  today. 

“The  Historical  Geography  of  Palestine,  p.  56.  (Note  14) 

2*  Tacitus  testifies  to  the  fact  that  “the  inhabitants  of  Palestine  are  healthy  and  robust ; 
the  rain  is  moderate  and  the  soil  is  fertile.”  Ammianus  Marcelinus  is  even  more  explicit.  The 
last  of  the  Syrias,”  he  says,  “is  Palestine,  a  country  of  considerable  extent,  abounding  in 
clean  and  well  cultivated  land  and  containing  some  fine  cities,  none  of  which  yield  to  the 
other,  but  as  it  were,  being  on  a  parallel,  are  rivals.”  See  Milman’s  notes  on  Gibbon’s 
Rome,  I,  pp.  27  and  2S. 

29  Over  one  hundred  different  varieties  of  plants  are  mentioned  in  Pentateuch,  and  in  Mish- 
nah  we  meet  with  230  plants,  200  of  which  bear  Hebrew  names,  showing  that  a  large  num¬ 
ber  of  plants  were  known  to  the  Israelites  of  ancient  Palestine. 


POSSIBILITIES  OF  PALESTINE 


221 


the  days  of  Abraham,  wine  presses,  hewn  out  of  solid  rocks,  threshing 
floors,  cisterns,  hand  mills,  roots  of  trees  and  other  relics,  in  place  now 
barren  and  uncultivated. 

The  geologic  structure  of  the  mountainous  land  of  Palestine  saved 
it  from  complete  desolation  during  these  many  years  of  destruction  and 
neglect.  To  quote  the  report  of  the  United  States  Agricultural  Bureau, 
“because  of  the  diversified  geologic  formation  the  country  presents  a 
great  variety  of  soils,  but  fortunately  the  calcareous  element  predomi¬ 
nates,  for  it  is  this  element  which  is  of  great  importance  in  the  soils  of 
arid  and  semi-arid  regions,  being  second  to  water  only,  which  is  indis¬ 
pensable  for  maintaining  animal  and  vegetable  life.” 

The  nitrogen  gathering  bacteria  is  present  in  every  locality  and 
acts  as  a  natural  fertilizer  and  as  a  consequence,  farming  was  accom¬ 
plished  in  Palestine  for  thousands  of  years  without  fertilization.  Even 
cattle  manure  is  not  used  in  Palestine  for  fertilizing  purposes.  It  is  col¬ 
lected,  dried  and  used  as  fuel  by  peasants. 

Where  in  the  United  States  could  crops  of  watermelons,  cucum¬ 
bers,  beans,  peas  or  other  vegetables  be  raised  without  a  drop  of  rain? 
But  in  Palestine  it  is  the  only  way  such  crops  are  cultivated.  When  the 
fellah  desires  to  plant  a  summer  crop,  he  allows  the  soil  to  remain  fallow 
during  the  rainy  season,  when  that  season  is  over  he  plows  his  ground 
a  few  inches  deep  with  his  ancient  wooden  plow.  He  takes  care  to  get 
rid  of  the  weeds,  and  he  is  assured  of  his  crop.  The  porous  and  cal¬ 
careous  soil,  penetrated  by  the  heavy  rain,  having  a  high  capillarity  to 
store  away  moisture  for  the  season,  make  the  underground  water  avail¬ 
able  for  the  deep  rooting  of  plants.  This  phenomenon  explains  how  lux¬ 
urious  growths  are  kept  up  beneath  a  burning  sun,  in  a  warm  air,  for  a 
period  of  seven  months  in  the  year. 

Near  the  village  of  Huldah,  where  the  Herzl-wald  is  situated,  the 
entire  land  is  rocky  and  to  the  uninitiated  observer  it  appears  worth¬ 
less  for  gardening  or  planting.  Now  the  finest  olive  groves  exist  on 
that  land.  There  is  hardly  a  rocky  hill  in  Judea  where  that  extremely 
profitable  plant  cannot  be  cultivated.  The  almond  is  another  tree  that 
thrives  on  rocky  soil,  and  the  Jewish  colonists,  recognizing  that  fact, 
have  purchased  large  tracts  of  cheap,  rocky  territory,  and  planted  them 
with  almonds.  This  favorite  nut  does  not  require  extra  irrigation,  is 
not  of  a  perishable  nature,  is  easily  handled,  and  is  very  profitable  as  an 
article  of  export. 


2  22 


NEW  JUDEA 


«  / 


The  fig  tree  prefers  a  rocky  place  to  any  other.  I  have  often  no¬ 
ticed  it  growing  from  the  crevices  of  rocks,  from  the  tops  of  caves,  and 
on  the  steep  slopes  of  rocky  mountains. 

The  native  fruit  is  of  a  common  variety.  The  fellah  makes  no  ef¬ 
forts  to  improve  upon  the  methods  of  his  grandfather,  and  for  that  rea¬ 
son  everything  has  retrograded  rather  than  improved,  under  his  occu¬ 
pancy  of  the  land.  The  Arab  is  in  the  habit  of  remarking  “Abraham 
did  this  way,  Allah  forbid  that  we  should  be  better  than  Father  Abra¬ 
ham  r 

With  the  founding  of  the  colonies  by  the  Templars  of  Germany  ana 
especially  with  the  establishment  of  the  settlements  by  the  Zionists  of 
Russia  and  Roumania,  new  methods  have  been  introduced.  American- 
made  farming  implements  were  brought  into  use  and  new  methods 
of  cultivation,  such  as  grafting  of  grapes  with  better  varieties  imported 
from  California,  Spain  and  other  countries,  were  guaranteed.  The  re¬ 
sult  of  such  innovations  has  proved  most  profitable  to  the  colonists. 

The  oranges  of  Jaffa  are  unexcelled  in  quality  and  bring  high  prices 
in  English  and  other  markets;  as  for  tomatoes,  as  soon  as  they  are  seen 
in  the  markets  of  Marseilles,  a  drop  in'  prices  of  all  domestic  grown 
tomatoes  is  caused.  The  sesame  of  Haifa  is  highly  prized  in  the  mar¬ 
kets  of  Hamburg  and  Marseilles,  and  the  olives  and  almonds  are  in 
great  demand  in  Alexandria,  Cairo  and  other  Eastern  cities. 

The  Jewish  agricultural  experiment  station  near  Haifa  has  collect¬ 
ed  more  than  sixty  varieties  of  grapes,  out  of  these  varieties  one  black 
species  grown  on  the  Carmel  and  one  white,  grown  in  many  places,  have 
been  found  by  the  Agricultural  Department  Experiment  Station  of  Cali¬ 
fornia,  conducted  by  the  Federal  Government,  to  be  the  best  of  the  thir¬ 
teen  hundred  varieties  collected  within  the  last  ten  years  from  practical¬ 
ly  all  over  the  world. 

The  hard  wheat  of  Palestine  fetches  a  high  price  in  the  markets  of 
France  and  Italy,  adapted  as  it  is  for  the  manufacture  of  macaroni,  be¬ 
cause  of  its  low  percentage  of  water  and  high  percentage  of  gluten. 
Many  new  varieties  of  hard  wheat  have  been  cultivated  at  the  Jewish 
Agricultural  Experiment  Station  by  hybridization  of  the  local  Palestin¬ 
ian  wheat  varieties  with  the  wild  wheat  discovered  in  Palestine. 

The  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture  has  admitted  official¬ 
ly  that  there  is  “a  large  number  of  economic  plants  indigenous  to  Pales¬ 
tine,  more  particularly  cereals  that  are  considered  worthy  of  introduc- 


POSSIBILITIES  OF  PALESTINE 


22a 


tion  into  the  United  States/’  (G.  H.  Powell,  Acting  Chief  of  the  Bureau 
of  Plant  Industry.)  30 

This  analogy  between  California  and  Palestine  has  been  well  es¬ 
tablished,  the  similarity  is  marked  in  climate,  vegetation,  topography 
and  many  other  ways.  Indeed  it  is  a  miniature  California  in  all  respects. 31 

The  coast  zone  runs  along  the  Mediterranean  as  in  California  the 
littoral  region  along  the  Pacific.  Like  California,  it  is  longest  from  North 
to  South.  The  Shephela  and  the  Judean  plateau  correspond  with  the 
foothill  regions  of  California  and  form  the  backbone  of  the  country. 
Like  California,  the  country  is  wavy,  its  mountains  are  high  and  has 
deep  ravines.  The  Dead  Sea  in  the  south  of  the  Jordan  valley  has 
a  depression  of  1300  ft.  below  the  level  of  the  sea  like  the  Death  valley 
that  is  situated  in  the  southern  end  of  California.  And  like  California, 
Palestine  has  a  dry,  warm  season  and  a  humid  and  more  temperate  one. 

The  rainy  season  extends  from  October  to  May,  the  dry  season  from 
May  to  October.  The  rain  fall  varies  according  to  locality  from  less  than 
six  inches  of  rain  in  the  extreme  south  near  the  Egyptian  frontier  where 
rains  are  insufficient  and  uncertain,  to  more  than  forty  inches  in  the 
north  of  the  country,  The  trans  Jordanic  plateau  with  its  fertile  region 
and  volcanic  character  is  considered  the  best  grain  land  of  Palestine. 

The  Jordan  valley,  though  little  cultivated  at  present,  is  perhaps 
the  richest  region  in  Syria,  similar  in  climate,  topography  and  economic 
possibilities  to  the  San  Joaquin  Imperial  and  the  Death  Valley.  In  this 
valley  everything  grows  luxuriously.  The  alfalfa  produces  ten  crops  a 
year.  Bananas,  oranges,  sugar-canes,  cotton  and  all  other  fruits  of  sub¬ 
tropical  and  tropical  climates  thrive  here  splendidly.  The  growing 
season  of  this  valley  is  prolonged  to  the  entire  year.  The  climate, 
though  very  hot  in  the  summer,  is  usually  delightful  in  the  winter. 

The  plain  of  Jericho,  which  is  in  the  southern  end  of  the  Jordan 
valley,  was  always  celebrated  for  its  stately  palms.  In  the  Bible  it  is 
described  as  the  “City  of  Palm  Trees.”  32 

Josephus  calls  it  “Divine  Region”  and  speaks  of  it  as  the  most  fer¬ 
tile  tract  in  Judea. 

80  See  also  Palestine  Magazine,  November,  1917. 

81  Palestine  is  one-twentieth  the  size  of  California.  j 

82  Deut.  xxxiv:3;  Judges  1:16.  ■  i 


224 


NEW  JUDEA 


The  fascinating  Cleopatra  induced  Anthony  to  take  from  Herod 
the  Great  the  plain  of  Jericho  and  to  annex  it  to  her  dominion  so  that 
she  might  there  establish  her  winter  palace  among  the  celebrated  palms, 
scenting  myrrhs  and  fruit  trees.  Strabo  calls  Jericho  “a  grove  of  palms” 
and  speaks  of  it  as  a  country  of  “a  hundred  stadia,”  full  of  springs, 
possessing  a  large  population. 

In  a  still  better  condition  is  the  rich!  plain  of  Esdraelon,  33  also 
known  as  the  valley  of  Meggido,  the  ancient  battlefield  of  Israel. 

If  this  historic  valley  was  properly  cultivated  it  would  yield  crops 
as  good  as  are  found  in  the  best  land  of  the  United  States.  In  spring 
the  aspect  of  this  great  plain  is  delightful,  fields  of  grain  shimmer  in 
the  air,  and  verdant  patches  of  sesame  and  millet  interspersed  by  fields 
of  cotton  give  the  landscape  the  appearance  of  a  huge  carpet. 

The  country  around  Jaffa,  the  plain  of  Sharon  where  most  of  the 
colonies  of  Judea  are  situated,  is  admirably  adapted  for  the  growth  of 
oranges,  grapes,  dates,  almonds,  olives,  apricots  and  many  other  fruits, 
as  well  as  cereals  and  legumes.  The  water  supply  of  this  district  is  ap¬ 
parently  inexhaustible.  It  has  a  great  artesian  underflow  which  is  util¬ 
ized  for  the  irrigation  of  the  orange  groves. 

During  the  days  of  the  Crusades  when  a  comprehensive  system  of 
irrigation  was  inaugurated  in  the  land  and  protection  against  attacks 
of  marauding  Beduins  from  the  desert  was  assured,  Judea  became  a 
veritable  garden.  Sugar  canes,  bananas,  date  palms  grew  luxuriously. 
Wheat,  barley,  lentiles,  hay,  millet,  cotton,  sesame,  indigo  and  saffron 
were  the  pride  of  their  owners.  The  flax  and  dates  of  Palestine  excelled 
those  of  the  banks  of  the  Nile.  Safed  became  famous  for  its  melons, 
Damascus  for  its  plums.  Maize  was  originally  found  in  the  southern 
part  of  Palestine  and  thence  introduced  into  Italy;  the  Carmel  was 
known  for  its  grapes  and  the  entire  land  as  in  the  days  of  yore  again 
became  a  land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey  under  the  wise  management 
of  European  agriculturists. 

Wolney  in  his  travels  (1783-85)  correctly  remarks  that  Syria  unites 
different  climates  under  the  same  sky  and  collects  within  a  small  com¬ 
pass  pleasures  and  productions  which  nature  has  elsewhere  dispersed 
at  great  distances  of  time  and  place. 

There  is  almost  every  climate  from  subtropical  at  the  south  end  of 


38  A  Greek  corruption  of  Jezreel. 


POSSIBILITIES  OF  PALESTINE 


225 


the  Jordan  valley  to  sub-Alpine  at  the  northern  end  of  the  valley,  35 
there  are  the  tropical  palms  in  Jericho  and  temperate  pine  trees  on  the 
Lebanons.  From  the  southern  end  of  the  valley  with  a  depressing  tem¬ 
perature  of  ioo  or  more  F.  35b,  the  glistening  snow  fields  of  the 
mighty  Hermon  are  seen.  This  mountain  range  that  rivals  in  grandeur 
and  sublimity  the  lofty  Alps  of  Switzerland  lifts  its  enormous  form 
938$  feet  above  the  level  of  the  Mediterranean  and  is  covered  with  100 
feet  of  snow  all  through  the  year.  The  snow  is  deposited  in  the  ravines 
around  the  summit  and  looking  one  fine  morning  from  the  base  of  the 
Canaam  mountain  at  the  colony  Rosh  Pinah  it  appeared  like  radiant 
stripes  on  the  top  of  the  Hermon. 

It  has  been  well  said  that  the  Hermon  has  the  summer  at  his  feet, 
Spring  in  his  lap,  and  winter  on  his  head.  In  the  summer  the  Hermon 
and  his  neighors  are  as  cool  as  our  Adirondacks.36 

The  Tabor  is  the  most  remarkable  mountain  in  Palestine.  It  is 
seen  all  over  Gallilee,  and  the  entire  land  can  be  seen  from  it.  Standing 
as  it  does  apart  from  its  neighbors  of  the  central  range  at  the  north¬ 
eastern  border  of  the  Esdraelon,  the  contour  of  the  entire  mountain  can 
be  seen.  It  is  semi-globular  in  shape,  and  is  well  wooded  with  shrubbery 
and  dwarf  oaks. 

One  early  morning  in  July  the  writer  was  looking  at  it  from  the 
little  colony  Mischa  situated  at  its  eastern  base.  The  Tabors  pre¬ 
sented  a  picturesque  appearance.  The  entire  mountain  was  covered 
with  a  veil  of  dew,  and  it  appeared  like  a  huge  white  tent.  But  with 
the  rise  of  the  sun  the  vapory  veil  disappeared  and  the  Tabor  clothed  in 
green  verdure  presented  itself. 

It  is  the  mountain  where,  at  the  command  of  the  prophetess,  De¬ 
borah,  Baarlc,  the  son  of  Abinoam  mobilized  an  army  of  Napthali  against 
Sisera.37 

The  psalmist  considers  the  Hermon  and  Tabor  as  a  special  crea¬ 
tion  of  God  when  he  said :  “Tabor  and  Hermon  thou  hast  created.”38 

38  The  characteristic  of  the  climate  of  Palestine  was  long  recognized  by  the  Rabbis  of 
the  Talmud.  Rabbi  Simeon  ben  Yochai  said:  “Why  is  Palestine  called  ‘Tebel’  (which  has 
two  meanings,  the  world  and  to  be  mixed)?  Because  it  has  a  mixture  of  every  climate  and 
crop”  (Sifri). 

35  Conder  reports  a  temperature  on  one  occasion  as  high  as  116  degrees. 

34  The  Lebanon,  from  Hebrew  “laban,”  white,  or  White  Mountains. 

37  Jud.  iv:6. 

38  Psalms  lxxxix  :13. 


226 


NEW  JUDEA 


The  Carmel  guarding  the  Mediterranean  shore,  is  famous  for  its 
fertility  and  beauty.  Its  soil  is  always  moistened  with  the  dew  carried 
by  the  western  winds  of  the  great  sea.  The  finest  grapes  grow  on  the 
slopes  of  the  Carmel.  It  appears  that  this  mountain  was  always  known 
for  its  magnificent  vineyards.38 

Looking  one  afternoon  from  the  Carmel  the  eyes  of  the  writer  swept 
over  the  sand  and  palms  of  the  coast;  the  great  fields  of  wheat  and 
sesame  of  Esdraelon ;  the  sycamores  and  oaks  of  Galilee ;  the  pines,  the 
cedars  and  the  snow  of  the  Anti-Lebanon  and  the  palms  in  the  Phili¬ 
stine  plains. 

“How  closely  this  difference  lies  to  each  other?”  remarked  George 
Adam  Smith.  “Take  a  section  of  the  country  across  Judea.  With  its 
palms  and  shadoofs,  the  Philistine  plain  might  be  part  of  the  Egyptian 
Delta ;  but  on  the  hills  of  the  Shephelah  which  overlook  it,  you  are  in 
the  scenery  of  Southern  Europe;  the  Judean  moors  which  overlook 
them  are  like  the  barer  uplands  of  Central  Germany ;  the  shepherds 
wear  sheepskin  cloaks  and  live  under  stone  roofs — sometimes  the  snow 
lies  deep ;  a  few  miles  farther  east  and  you  are  down  on  the  desert 
among  the  Bedouin,  with  their  tents  of  hair  and  their  cotton  clothing; 
a  few  miles  farther  still,  and  you  drop  to  torrid  heat  in  the  Jordan  Valley; 
a  few  miles  beyond  that  and  you  rise  to  the  plateau  of  the  Belka  where 
the  Arabs  say  the  cold  is  always  at  home!  Yet  from  Philistia  to  the 
Belka  is  scarcely  seventy  miles.”  39 

The  change  of  climate  and  fertility  at  such  short  distances  are 
attributable  to  the  unusual  range  of  level — a  “land  of  mountains  and 
hills.”  From  ten  thousand  feet  above  the  sea  level  in  the  north,  with  a 
temperate  climate,  it  slopes  down  in  a  short  distance  to  1300  feet  below 
the  sea  level  at  the  Dead  Sea  with  a  tropical  climate.  It  is  also  due  to 
the  interruption  of  plains  by  mountain  ranges,  to  the  presence  of  lakes 
and  rivers,  to  the  formation  of  the  soil,  to  the  influence  of  the  Mediter¬ 
ranean  at  the  western  part  and  the  exposure  to  the  desert  in  the  eastern 
part  of  the  land. 

We  have  in  Palestine  almost  every  possible  variety  of  natural  scen¬ 
ery,  sea,  lake,  river,  mountain,  valley  and  desert.  This  abundance  of 
scenery  changes  the  climate  in  different  parts  of  the  country  and  not¬ 
withstanding  the  fact  that  Palestine  is  situated  between  30  and  34 
degrees  north  latitude,  parallel  with  that  of  Washington  and  New 

38  Some,  in  consequence,  have  wrongly  interpreted  the  name  to  signify  “Vineyard  of  the 
Lord”  (Carm’el). 

*•  See  Historical  Geography  of  Palestine,  p.  56. 


POSSIBILITIES  OF  PALESTINE 


227 


Orleans,  but  owing  to  its  extraordinary  range  of  altitude  and  its  geologic 
structure,  Palestine  possesses  all  climates  from  that  of  Egypt  to  that  of 
Laborador.  Even  in  our  immense  country,  from  the  Great  Lakes  to  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico  and  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  there  is  not  a 
larger  diversity  of  climate,  scenery  and  production  than  is  met  with  in 
little  Palestine. 

The  famous  botanist,  G.  E.  Post,  calls  attention  to  the  fact  that  in 
flora,  Palestine  is  the  wealthiest  country  of  its  size  in  the  world.  Three 
thousand  species  of  flowers  are  found  in  Palestine.  The  great  diversity  of 
climate  is  responsible  for  the  production  of  a  large  number  of  species 
of  plants,  as  the  following  table  will  show : 


Sq.  M.  Species  of  Plants. 

Palestine  . 14,000  3, 000 

California  . 158,297  3,000 

Algeria  . 184,474  1,800 

Germany  . 208,780  1,200 


The  rain  is  also  a  feature  of  Palestinean  climate.  There  are  early 
rains  “Yoreh,”  literally  a  pourer,  which  is  very  heavy  and  accompanied 
with  storms,  lasting  from  about  October  until  February.  With  the 
beginning  of  this  rain,  the  agricultural  season  opens.  The  parched 
soil  of  the  long,  rainless  summer  is  softened  and  the  fellah  is  ready 
with  his  plough.  The  later  rain,  “Malkosh,”  only  lasts  through  March 
and  April  and  is  accompanied  by  heavy  showers.  The  rainfall  in 
Palestine  averages  from  18  to  20  inches  annually.  Hail  and  snow  fall 
on  the  hills;  the  hail  frequently  comes  with  rain  and  thunderstorm. 
Snow  has  been  known  to  lie  several  days  in  the  mountains  ,but  this  is 
rather  rare.  No  snow  has  been  known  to  fall  in  the  Ghor  (Lower 
Jordanic  Valley). 

From  May  to  October  there  is  no  rain.  Even  a  cloud  is  rarely  seen 
to  pass  over  the  sky.  The  anxiety  attending  gathering-in  the  harvest 
felt  by  the  American  and  European  farmers,  caused  by  the  continual 
rain  of  the  harvest  season,  is  unknown  in  Palestine ;  thrashing  and  win- 
owing  are  done  under  the  bare  sky  in  the  open  field.  But  this  sequence 
of  rainless  months  has  its  drawbacks.  The  intense  heat  of  the  sun, 
month  after  month  in  the  hot  plains,  often  registers  100  F.,  and  the 
Sirocco  (burning  east  wind)  blowing  from  the  desert  makes  the  heat 
intolerable  for  animals  and  plants.  The  effect  would  be  detrimental 
to  vegetation  if  it  were  not  for  the  “dew  from  Heaven/’  The  westerly 
winds  bring  on  their  wings  large  quantities  of  moisture  from  the  sea, 
when  the  saturated  sea  breeze  blows  over  the  cold  night  air,  the  mois- 


228 


NEW  JUDEA 


ture  condenses  into  a  thick  mist  enveloping  the  hills  and  plains,  slack¬ 
ens  the  drought,  and  softens  the  soil  from  the  continuous  baking  of  the 
sun.  Indeed  on  many  mornings  the  sandy  soil  looks  as  if  there  had 
been  a  heavy  rain  and  all  vegetation  appears  drenched  from  the  con¬ 
densed  vapor. 

The  Hebrew  word  “Tal”  is  not  the  dew  we  are  accustomed  to  in 
the  temperate  climates,  but  is  a  heavy  mist  or  rather  an  invisible  rain 
that  appears  at  midnight  and  comes  in  great  abundance.  This  dew 
is  sufficient  to  ripen  the  summer  crops,  to  keep  the  flock1  at  pasture,  to 
feed  the  fig,  to  nourish  the  olive,  and  to  ripen  the  grape.  The  grapes 
particularly,  the  most  abundant  of  all  fruits,  are  matured  without  a  drop 
of  rain  or  irrigation.  In  fact  the  leaves  do  not  appear  before  the  dry 
season  has  set  in. 

The  high  altitude  of  the  mountain  range  has  also  a  marked  effect 
on  the  climate  of  the  country,  and  Palestine  is  endowed  with  many 
mountains. 


From  the  north  of  Syria  commence  two  parallel  mountain  ranges, 
the  Lebanon  and  the  anti-Lebanon.  From  the  first  a  series  of  mountains 


stretches  along  the  entire  length  of  Palestine.  These  mountains  greatly 
influences  the  climate.  They  shut  out  the  desert  of  Arabia  which  is  only 
ninety  miles  off,  which  would  otherwise  sweep  away  the  plains,  and 
bestow  upon  it  a  Swiss-like  scenery.  The  modification  of  climate  is 
dependent  upon  the  height  of  the  elevations.  Palms  and  olives  thrive 
in  the  Shefelah  (low  mountains  bordering  around  ftjhe  coast)  and 
Jordan  Valley.  Cedars  and  firs  grow  on  the  Lebanons.  In  the  south  the 
soil  is  covered  throughout  the  year  with  green  pasture,  while  in  the 
farther  north  it  is  clad  with  a  garment  of  snow. 

The  Palestinian  winter  also  varies  according  to  altitude,  from  that 
of  the  Carmel  which  is  only  1810  feet,  and  has  only  a  short  winter  or 
none  at  all,  to  that  of  Hermon  with  9380  feet  and  an  eternal  snow.  The 
following  table  will  give  an  idea  of  the  heights  of  the  Palestinian 
Alps  :40 


Hermon  Jebel-Es  Sheikh  . 

Tel  Ashur . 

Mount  Ebal . 

Miz-pah  (Nebei  Samwil)  . 

Gerizim  . . 

Mt.  Olivet  E.  of  Jerusalem  (El  Kuds) 

South  Jerusalem  Mountains  . 

Gilboa  Jab  el  (El  Fakuah)  . 

Tabor  (Jebel  El  Tur)  . 

Carmel  . 


9380  feet 
3318  feet 
3077  feet 
2935  feet 
2849  feet 
2634  feet 
2500  feet 
2000  feet 
1843  feet 
.1843  feet 


40  Alps  from  the  Latin  “alba,”  white,  similar  to  Lebanon,  which  is  the  Hebrew  derivation 
of  white. 


POSSIBILITIES  OF  PALESTINE 


229 


Some  writers  aptly  remarked  that  Palestine  is  the  Switzerland  of 
the  East.  As  Switzerland  has  the  Rhine,  Palestine  has  between  its  two 
mountain  ranges  the  Jordan. 

The  Jordan  rises  in  the  heights  of  the  Lebanon  and  running  sixty- 
five  miles  southward  it  sinks  1300  feet  below  the  sea  level  into  the  Dead 
Sea,  hence  it  is  named  “Jordan”  (the  descender).  In  its  course  it  forms 
three  lakes:  the  Lake  of  Huleh,  (Mei  Merom),  the  Lake  of  Galilee, 
(Genesaret)  and  the  Dead  Sea.  The  most  important  is  the  lake  near 
Tiberias.41  It  is  682  feet  below  the  sea  level  and  forms  a  natural  reser¬ 
voir,  fourteen  miles  long  and  eight  miles  wide,  of  fresh  sweet  water.  Its 
depth  is  200  feet.  It  contains  an  abundant  supply  of  fish  and  furnishes 
a  daily  output  of  6,000,000  tons  of  water.  This  remarkable  lake  is  situ¬ 
ated  at  the  head  of  200,000  acres  of  rich  alluvial  land.  From  the  lake  the 
Jordan  continues  65  miles  to  the  Dead  Sea. 

The  proximity  of  sea,  mountains,  lakes  and  rivers  to  each  other 
forms  an  interesting  feature  in  the  climate  of  Palestine.  The  district 
nearer  to  the  sea  is  warmer  than  the  high  land,  the  mean  annual  tem¬ 
perature  is  70  degrees  F.,  the  extremes  being  50  and  90  degrees  F.  Here 
the  harvest  ripens  weeks  earlier  than  in  the  mountains,  the  citron  and 
orange  flourish,  melons  are  extensively  cultivated,  and  pomegranate 
bushes  grow  in  large  numbers. 

But  in  a  few  hours  or  less  one  is  on  the  mountains  with  an  average 
temperature  of  50  degrees,  where  the  thermometer  may  sink  below  the 
freezing  point,  though  frost  and  snow  do  not  last  very  long,  and  in 
another  hour  one  may  come  down  in  the  Jordan  Valley  and  find  himself 
in  a  tropical  climate  with  a  temperature  of  100  or  115  degrees  F.  where 
palms  grow  luxuriously  and  cotton  fields  are  in  fine  bloom. 

A  country  where  the  temperature  varies  from  55  degrees  F.  to  70 
degrees  F.  is  considered  a  healthful  climate.  Diseases  due  to  colds, 
chills,  etc.,  incident  to  temperate  zones  are  seldom  met  with.  The  mild 
climate  permitting  outdoor  life  all  through  the  year  is  conducive  to 
good  health,  especially  of  those  tender  ages,  elderly  people  and  patientts 
weakened  by  prolonged  illness. 

The  diversity  of  climate  and  scenery  at  such  short  distances  may 
prove  a  great  factor  in  attracting  large  numbers  of  visitors  who  might  use 
Palestine  as  a  health  resort  when  Israel  will  regain  the  mastership  of  the 
land  and  Palestine  will  be  made  safe  and  inhabitable  for  westerners. 

41  The  Genesaret,  “The  Hebrew  Chinereth,”  a  harp,  because  of  its  shape.  In  the  Talmud 
it  is  know  as  Gineser.  (Meg.  6a.) 


230 


NEW  JUDEA 


Physicians  have  long  recognized  the  therapeutic  value  of  mountain 
scenery.  An  elevation  of  2000  ft.  for  all  practical  purposes  furnishes 
the  advantages  of  mountain  air.  It  is  pure,  cool,  has  little  humidity  and 
offers  less  resistance  to  the  rays  of  the  sun.  As  the  altitude  is  increased 
the  oxygen  supply  is  diminished  and  in  order  to,  compensate  for  this 
shortage  there  is  an  effort  on  the  part  of  the  organism  to  quicken  the 
circulation  and  respiration,  and  to  increase  the  number  of  red  blood 
corpuscles. 

This  increase  continues  for  some  time  even  after  a  return  to  lower 
grounds.  Mountain  life  has  also  a  tendency  to  diminish  proteid  meta¬ 
bolism,  resulting  in  gaining  weight,  owing  to  the  deposit  of  proteid 
matter  in  the  tissue. 

Persons  who  are  yet  in  the  process  of  physical  development  are 
particularly  apt  to  derive  benefits  from  the  impetus  given  to  growth 
and  blood-forming  organs. 

Cases  of  anaemia,  pulmonary  tuberculosis  in  the  early  stages,  bron¬ 
chitis  in  young  people,  and  cases  of  pleurisy,  where  the  membranes  are 
thickened,  preventing  the  lungs  from  full  expansion,  are  greatly  bene¬ 
fited  in  high  altitudes.  For  people  troubled  with  malaise,  mental  fa¬ 
tigue,  overwork,  depressed  by  anxious  occupations,  irritability,  rest¬ 
lessness,  debility  following  upon  fevers,  and  malarial  infections,  moun¬ 
tain  air  is  considered  invaluable.  The  bracing  atmosphere  stimulates 
the  physical  energies  and  has  a  soothing  effect  on  the  overworked  body 
and  mind.  Quietude  and  absence  from  the  noisy  scenes  of  city  life  bring 
rest  to  the  weary  body  and  mind  and  repose  to  the  convalescing  patient. 
The  heights  of  the  Carmel  and  Gilboa  may  some  day  become  valuable 
health  resorts  for  these  cases.  The  Carmel  particularly  has  the  double 
advantage  of  being  a  mountain  of  right  proportions  and  close  to  the 
sea,  thereby  receiving  the  breeze  of  the  Mediterranean.  The  Lebanons 
in  the  North,  are  destined  to  become  the  summer  retreat  for  the  new 
Zion  and  the  surrounding  countries.  The  germicidal  powers  of  direct  sun¬ 
light  as  met  on  high  altitude  account  for  the  aseptic  character  of  the  air 
of  the  Alps. 

But  when  the  patient  begins  to  show  symptoms  of  irritability  of  the 
heart,  paroxysms  of  cough  and  insomnia  particularly  when  complicated 
with  Bright’s  disease,  a  humid  atmosphere  is  preferred.  The  coast  line 
of  southern  Palestine  resembling  the  climate  of  Egypt  is  better  adapt¬ 
able  for  such  cases.  Scrofulous  children  in  whom  the  resistance  to  mi- 


POSSIBILITIES  OF  PALESTINE 


231- 


cro-organism  and  its  products  is  low,  or  very  delicate  children  with 
small  powers  of  reaction,  should  be  brought  up  at  some  coast  re¬ 
sort,  where  the  winter  is  mild.  The  schools  of  Jaffa  form  ideal  places 
for  such  children.  In  cases  of  albuminuria,  a  warm  dry  climate  by 
stimulating  the  action  of  the  skin,  lessens  the  work  of  the  kidneys.  A 
climate  such  as  the  lower  Jordan  valley  would  be  invaluable  for  this 
class  of  patients. 

The  Lake  of  Tiberias  situated  in  the  upper  Jordan  Valley  offers  to 
visitors  the  pleasure  of  boating  and  fishing.  The  writer  on  a  summer 
afternoon  voyaged  on  a  sailing  boat  the  entire  length  of  the  lake,  in  less- 
than  an  hour.  The  wind  between  the  high  mountains  that  form  the 
basin  of  the  Gennesaret  is  very  strong  in  the  early  afternoon  hours,  and 
the  sails  carried  the  boat  very  rapidly  to  the  little  village  of  Semkha.- 

But  the  main  attraction  of  the  Jordan  Valley  from  the  point  of 

view  of  a  health  resort  are  the  hot  sulphur  springs.  The  establishment 
of  sanatoria  and  the  development  of  these  springs  are  among  the  possi¬ 
bilities  of  the  near  future. 

The  spring  situated  at  the  head  of  the  Tiberias  Lake  was  well 
known  to  the  Romans  and  to  the  Jews  in  the  Talmudic  days  as  a  great- 
health  resort.  The  chemical  composition  of  this  spring  and  the  tem¬ 
perature  of  its  water  (137  degrees  F.),  as  well  as  the  climate  of  the 
adjacent  country  should  prove  of  high  medicinal  value  if  placed  under 
the  proper  management.  Patients  suffering  from  myalgia,  neuralgia,, 
chronic  rheumatism,  sciatica,  lumbago  and  other  disorders  common  to 
temperate  climates,  would  derive  considerable  therapeutic  benefit  from, 
bathing  in  this  mineral  water. 

The  most  remarkable  of  these  natural  springs  is  the  one  situated  at 
Callinpal  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  Dead  Sea.  From  a  distance  one 
can  see  large  volumes  of  steam  issuing  from  the  spring.  The  tem¬ 
perature  of  this  water  is  142  degrees  F.,  and  one  has  to  allow  the  water 
to  cool  twenty-four  hours  before  using  it:.  Other  favorite  sulphur 
springs  are  situated  at  Gadara  (Hamath),  east  of  the  Jordan  (tempera¬ 
ture  of  107  degrees  F.),  near  Tiberias,  and  in  many  other  places  beyond 
the  Jordan. 

These  numerous  mineral  springs  of  varying  temperature  make  it 
possible  for  the  physician  to  choose  the  particular  spring  best  suited  to* 
his  patient,  also  to  blend  the  various  waters  of  different  chemical  com¬ 
position  into  one  to  suit  the  particular  disease. 


'232 


NEW  JUDEA 


Having  dwelt  at  some  length  on  the  curative  facilities  of  Palestine, 
a,  word  or  two  should  be  said  about  the  diseases  prevailing  in  that  land. 

Cholera  is  not  as  frequent  in  Palestine  of  late  as  in  other  eastern 
countries.  In  many  epidemics  of  the  neighboring  countries  such  as  up¬ 
per  Syria  and  Asia  Minor,  Palestine  escaped  this  disease.  Epidemics 
of  plague  (Maggefah)  42  were  always  brought  over  by  travelers,  or  by. 
marching  armies  from  Egypt.  This  disease  was  the  dread  of  conquerors 
from  the  days  of  Sennacherib  to  that  of  Napoleon  (1799).  The 
Philistines,  who  guarded  the  door  through  which  Palestine  was  entered, 
were  always  in  danger  of  infection.  At  one  time  the  scourge  broke  out 
when  they  were  encamped  against  Israel.  The  Old  Testament  presents 
two  records  of  the  disease.  The  disease  was  characterized  by  tumors 
in  the  groins  and  sudden  death.43 

The  other  reference  is  in  Deuteronomy,44  where  the  writer  describes 
the  disease  and  traces  it  back  to  Egypt.  It  is  also  known  in  the  Old 
Testament  as  the  boil  of  Egypt.45-46 

The  so-called  Leprosy,  “Nega  Zaraath,”  of  the  scripture47  rendered 
In  the  Septuagint,  “Lepra,”  is  probably  not  the  Leprosy  of  today,  which 
Is  characterized  by  ulcerous  eruptions  and  successive  desquamation  of 
dead  skin.  It  probably  refers  to  a  number  of  skin  diseases  that  were 
of  frequent  occurrence  in  the  Biblical  times.  The  Palestinean  Jews  of 
today  are  very  rarely  attacked  with  what  we  know  as  Leprosy.  The 
late  Professor  Nicholas  Senn,  of  Rush  Hospital,  Chicago,  speaking  of 
Leprosy  in  Jerusalem,  says,  “Most  of  the  Lepers  are  Arabs;  the  Jews 
:are  singularly  free  from  this  disease.”  Dr.  Einsler  all  through  his  long 
practice  in  Jerusalem  has  only  seen  five  Jewish  Lepers,  and  all  for¬ 
eigners.  Four  came  from  Morocco  and  the  other  from  Salonica.48 

The  so-called  “Lepra  Hebraeorum,”  was  probably  a  combination  of 
a  number  of  skin  diseases  which  owing  to  the  undeveloped  state  of  medi¬ 
cal  science  in  that  period  were  not  differentiated.  The  Leprosy  of  the 
Bible  was  curable;  Modern  Leprosy  is  not.  Furthermore  that  described 
In  the  Bible  resembles  the  skin  eruption  known  as  “vitiligo,”  which  is 

43  Referred  to  in  Deut.  vii  :15. 

43 1  Sam.  v  :6-9-12. 

44  Deut.  vii  :15. 

44  “And  the  Lord  will  take  away  from  thee  all  the  sore  sickness  of  Egypt  of  which 
vlhou  knowest.” 

45  The  Hebrew  word  “Afolim”  (I  Sam.  v:6-9-12)  means  swelling. 

4T  Lev.  x  :12-3. 

44  See  American  Medicine  IV,  509-512. 


POSSIBILITIES  OF  PALESTINE 


23  S" 


characterized  by  small  white  patches  spreading  slowly,  the  hair  oir 
which  also  becomes  white.  A  disease  common  in  the  tropics,  it  is  a 
harmless  disorder  though  it  is  disfiguring. 

The  most  prevailing  malady  in  modern  Palestine  is  Malaria  in  all 
its  forms.  The  disease  is  caused  by  specific  organisms  found  in  the' 
Anopheles,  a  special  variety  of  mosquito,  and  is  endemic.  It  prevails 
largely  in  the  Jordan  valley,  in  the  Judean  plain,  and  in  many  villages 
and  towns  along  the  coast.  It  is  rather  rare  in  the  mountains.  Thej 
malaria-spreading  mosquito  thrives  best  in  the  warm  climate  and  close 
to  the  soil.  The  organism  multiplies  enormously  around  marshes  and 
pools.  In  districts  which  are  in  good  sanitary  condition,  in  a  dry  and 
level  plain  and  in  properly  paved  streets,  malaria  is  seldom  met  with. 

Malaria  is  a  preventable  disease  even  in  malarial  districts  if  care  be 
taken  to  observe  a  few  hygienic  rules,  such  as  sleeping  high  above  the- 
ground,  using  wire  screens  in  doors  and  windows,  drinking  boiled  water,, 
and  not  going  out  at  night.  In  order  to  get  rid  of  this  disease,  marshes 
must  be  done  away  with  either  by  draining  them  to  some  running  water 
or,  as  was  done  in  the  Jewish  colonies,  by  planting  trees  such  as  the 
Eucalyptus  or  Legume,  possessing  the  power  of  absorbing  large  quan¬ 
tities  of  water  from  the  soil  in  a  short  time ;  these  trees  have  dried  out 
many  diseased  marshes  around  the  colonies. 

About  forty  per  cent,  of  all  patients  admitted  to  the  Jerusalem  hos¬ 
pitals  at  present  suffer  from  various  forms  of  malaria.  Next  in  frequency 
are  diseases  of  the  stomach  and  intestines,  such  as  dysentery,  diarrhea,,, 
and  other  gastro-intestinal  troubles.  About  twenty  per  cent,  of  patients 
suffer  from  these  diseases,  which  are  preventable  if  proper  attention  be 
paid  to  hygienic  and  dietary  principles.  One  of  the  most  troublesome 
diseases  in  the  east  is  trachoma  or  granular  lids.  It  prevails  among 
people  with  no  sense  of  cleanliness  and  care.  Personal  cleanliness,  proper 
food,  boiled  drinking  water,  good  sanitary  conditions,  are  the  greatest 
enemies  to  the  above  diseases.  In  the  Jewish  colonies  where  the  hygienic' 
conditions  were  favorable  the  last  disease  was  practically  stamped  out. 
“Pink  Eye,”  a  contagious  form  of  i  Conjunctivitis,  is  also  prevailing  in- 
Palestine,  but  the  disease  seldoms  assumes  a  chronic  form. 

Diseases  of  the  lungs,  particularly  Tuberculosis,  are  not  as  frequent 
in  Palestine  as  in  temperate  climates.  Typhus  Fever,  which  is  due  to 
want,  ill  feeding  and  overcrowding,  are  said  to  be  infrequent  in  the 


'234 


NEW  JUDEA 


Holy  Land.  Typhoid  Fever  exists  in  Palestine  in  a  mild  form;  Pneu¬ 
monia,  Bronchitis  and  Rheumatism  are  fairly  common. 

Of  the  eruptive  diseases,  Small  Pox,  owing  to  the  fact  that  the 
Arabs  do  not  vaccinate  their  children  at  an  early  age,  is  not  uncom¬ 
mon.  Measles  prevails  in  the  same  measure  as  elsewhere,  but  Scarlet 
Fever  and  German  Measles  are  said  to  be  rather  rare. 

The  climatic  condition  as  a  whole  may  be  said  to  be  favorable  to 
health,  as  well  as  to  the  agricultural  and  industrial  development  of  the 
country. 

The  preceding  account  I  trust  will  suffice  to  give  the  reader  a 
lair  idea  of  the  history  and  development  of  modern  Palestine  and 
will  enable  him  to  get  a  better  understanding  of  the  life  in  the  colonies 
and  cities  of  New  Judea.  With  the  return  of  the  Jews  to  their  old  land 
they  will  undoubtedly  take  advantage  of  the  favorable  resources 
and  climatic  conditions  of  the  country;  Zion  will  again  become  a  land 
of  great  strength  and  fertility  and  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah  will  be  once 
more  verified :  “For  out  of  Zion  shall  go  forth  the  law  and  the  word  of 
the  Lord  from  Jerusalem.”  59  (Note  15.) 


59  Isaiah  ii  :3. 


NOTES 


Note  i. 

Note  1 — “Every  historical  event,”  says  Lilienblum,  “has  its  deep  roots  in  the  life  and 
history  of  the  community  in  which  it  occurs.”  ...  In  the  Middle  Ages  the  mark  of  the 
‘stranger’  was  religion;  in  the  present  time  it  is  nationality  or  birth;  .  .  .  The  penalties  are 
Identical.  .  .  .  The  Jew  is  neither  Teuton,  nor  Mongol,  nor  Slav — but  a  Semite — and  is  a 
‘stranger’  against  his  own  will.  Thus  we  ara  the  same  ‘strangers’  now  as  we  were  in  the 
Middle  Ages,  although  we  are  not  threatened  with  the  auto-da-fe  and  general  carnage;  yet 
we  are  not  insured  against  injustice,  restrictions,  oppression,  pogroms,  etc.  ...” 

“The  German  merchant  notices  that  the  ‘stranger’  owns  a  large  warehouse,  a  beautiful 
residence;  envy  and  greed  do  not  leave  the  German  at  rest.  ‘If  that  Jew  were  not  here,’  he 
reasons,  ‘this  warehouse  and  the  residence  would  belong  to  me!’  No  thought  enters  his  mind 
that  if  not  for  the  Jew  perhaps  neither  this  warehouse  nor  this  residence  would  exist.  The 
learned  German  sees  the  Jew  at  the  head  of  liberal  professions,  such  as  medicine,  law;  he 
sees  the  Jew  as  judge  or  professor,  etc.,  and  he  thinks:  ‘The  Jew  infests  our  country.  If 
not  for  him  I  would  have  occupied  this  position.’  .  .  .  The  very  same  thing  we  observe 

«verywrhere.  The  artisan,  the  merchant,  the  intellegentia,  all  are  very  much  annoyed  by  the 
'stranger’  and  his  competition,  and  show  their  displeasure  and  hatred  in  one  form  or  another, 
but  in  the  worst  form  in  the  Slavic  countries.  There,  instigators,  tinctured  with  envy  and 
hatred,  stir  the  masses  against  the  Jews.  The  common  people,  the  masses,  with  very  rare 
exceptions,  are  not  ill  disposed  towards  the  Jews,  becausei  they  never  could  nor  did  suffer 
from  Jew'ish  competition.  The  intellectual  development  of  these  masses  is  on  the  lowest 
level,  and  when  their  brutal  instincts  for  plunder  find  vent  in  pogroms  not  the  least  effort 
is  made  by  the  authorities  or  leaders  of  the  community  to  check  the  raging  mob.  The  press, 
with  but  very  few  exceptions,  instead  of  calming  the  passions  of  the  rioters,  publishes 
infamous  accusations  against  the  Jews,  as  if  excusing  the  cowardly  deed  of  pillage  and 
massacre,  and  demanding  restriction  of  ‘rights’  of  the  dangerous  Jews  and  even  their  ex¬ 
pulsion.  .  .  .  “What  can  be  more  noble  than  science  or  agriculture?”  goes  on  Lilienblum. 

‘yet  no  sooner  does  the  ‘stranger’  taker  them  up  than  a  furious  cry  arises:  ‘The  Jews  are 
coming!’  ‘Their  children  take  up  the  school  rooms  In  place  of  our  children.’ 

“No  matter  that  Jacob,  who  succeeded  in  entering  school,  is  probably  more  capable  than 
Ivan,  and  consequently  will  become  a  more  intelligent  worker  than  Ivan.” 


Note  2. 

“It  was  understood,”  said  Achad  Haam,  “on  all  sides  that  the  conception  of  Zionism 
must  include  all  that  comes  within  the  definition  of  Hebrew  nationality.  Any  piece  of 
work  which  would  assist  in  strengthening  and  developing  the  nationality  was  Zionist  work, 
beyond  all  manner  of  doubt.  And  now  a  new  Zionism  has  arisen,  and  has  adopted  the  term 
‘political’  as  its  descriptive  epithet.  What,  we  may  inquire,  is  the  precise  point  of  this 
epithet?  It  adds  nothing  to  the  older  Zionism,  for  Zionism  has  always  been,  in  its  hopes 
for  the  distant  future,  essentially  ‘political.’  From  its  inception  Zionism  had  at  its  very 
root  the  hope  of  attaining  in  Palestine,  at  some  distant  date,  absolute  independence  in  the 
conduct  of  national  life.  That  was  a  necessary  condition  of  the  unhindered  and  com¬ 
plete  development  of  the  national  individuality.”  He  continues:  “Now,  even  the  newer 
Zionism  cannot  bring  the  Messiah  ‘today  or  tomorrow,’  hence  it  also  Is  ‘political’  only  In 

235 


236 


NOTES 


its  hopes  for  the  future.  Small  wonder  then  that  the  epithet,  which  clearly  added  nothing,, 
was  often  understood  as  taking  something  away.  It  was  taken  by  political  Zionists  to 
mean  something  like  this :  The  earlier  Zionists  included  in  Zionism  everything  germane 
to  the  development  of  the  Hebrew  national  individuality,  whereas  for  us  it  has  only  a  polit¬ 
ical  aim.  Zionism  for  us  means  simply  the  foundation  in  Palestine,  by  means  of  diplo¬ 
matic  negotiations  with  Turkey  and  other  powers,  of  a  ‘safe  refuge’  for  all  oppressed  and 
persecuted  Jews,  who  cannot  live  under  tolerable  conditions  in  their  native  countries,  and 
seek  a  means  of  escape  from  poverty  and  hunger.  Even  the  Basle  program  helped  to  fix 
this  idea  in  people’s  minds,  because  in  its  first  paragraph  it  defined  the  aim  of  Zionism  thus: 
“To  found  in  Palestine  a  safe  refuge  for  the  Jewish/  people,”  and  made  no  mention  of  the 
Jewish  nationality.  The  various  speeches  of  Zionist  leaders  at  Basle,  in  London  and  else¬ 
where,  which  were  a  sort  of  commentary  on  this  paragraph,  stated’  emphatically  and  re¬ 
peatedly  that  Zionism  had  come  to  solve  once  for  all  the  economic  and  political  problem 
of  the  Jews;  that  its  aims  were  to  gather  all  the  oppressed  of  Israel  into  one  place,  into 
the  Jewish  State,  where  they  could  live  in  security  and  be  no  longer  foreigners  and  aliens. ” 

Note  3. 

(As  late  as  1875  the  Ashkenazic  Kehillah  was  still  very  small.  They  were  known  by 
some  as  the  “Hayims,”  as  their  representative  men  consisted  mainly  of  several  Hayims, 
such  as  Hayim  Smerling,  Hayim  Gedaliah,  Hayim  Goldberg  and  Hayimi  Shertzer.  Among 
them  Hayim  Smerling  and  Hayim  Goldberg  were  the  most  prominent.  The  former  was 
beloved  among  the  Jews  for  his  benevolence  and  piety.  He  built  the  first  synagogue  in 
Jaffa.  The  latter  was  the  Muktar  (the  representative  of  the  government).  He  made  it  his 
business  to  visit  every  arriving  vessel  to  look  for  Jewish  passengers,  and  owing  to  his  in¬ 
fluence  in  government  circles,  he  rendered  the  landing  of  Jews  much  easier.  The  Sephardic 
Kehillah  of  Jaffa/  had  also  a  Hayim.  He  was  Hayim  Amzalack  and  was  the  British  Vice- 
Consul  in  that  town.  He  was  public  spirited,  and  in  1883  when  the  society  “Vaad  haluzei 
Y’sed  Hama’alah”was  organized  for  the  purpose  of  assisting  Jews  from  Russia  ta  become 
agriculturists,  Amzalack  was  elected  as  the  honorary  chairman.  The  Colony  Rishon  le-Zion 
was  purchased  in  his  name. 


Note  4. 

EDUCATIONAL  INSTITUTIONS 

The  Hebrew  Gymnasium  is  an  institution  for  secondary  education.  The  pupils  are  ta 
become  acquainted  with  the  productions  of  the  Jewish  people  and  be  prepared  for  en¬ 
hance  to  university  or  polytechnical  school. 

The  gymnasium  consists  of  a  preparatory  school  of  four  grades  for  children  of  6  to  10 
years  old;  a  pro-gymnasium  of  five  grades  (age  of  children  10  to  15),  which  is  complete  in 
itself  as  fitting  the  graduates  for  commercial  life,  and  the  gymnasium  proper,  of  three 
grades.  The  latter  is  divided  into  two  sections,  a  classical  with  Latin,  and  a  scientific 
with  higher  mathematics  and  practical  chemistry.  The  former  prepares  the  pupils  for  the 
university,  the  latter  for  the  polytechnicum. 

The  gymnasium  was  founded  in  1906,  through  the  efforts  of  Matman  Cohen,  with  the 
assistance  of  M.  Sheinkin  and  Ch.  Bogratschoff  and  a  small  circle  of  parents  and  teachers. 

The  curriculum  of  the  school  corresponds  to  that  of  similar  institutions  in  Germany  or 
Switzerland,  with  certain  modifications  conditioned  by  the  milieu.  The  language  in  which 
all  subjects,  with  exception  of  modern  languages — of  which  Arabic,  Turkish  and  French 
are  obligatory,  while  German  and  English  are  optional — are  taught,  is  Hebrew.  In  addi¬ 
tion  to  the  general  branches,  Bible.  Talmud,  medieval  and  modern  Hebrew  literature  are 
taught.  The  Bible  is  taught  cursorily  in  the  lower  grades  and  systematically  in  the  upper 
grades.  i.  .  »•  £tif! 


NOTES 


23T 


It  was  started  in  temporary  quarters  with  seventeen  pupils  (boys  and  girls).  Today  the 
number  of  pupils  amounts  to  several  hundreds,  while  the  teachers,  mostly  in  possession  of 
a  university  education,  number  nineteen.  The  pupils  are  recruited  not  only  from  Palestine; 
many  come  from  South  Africa,  Galicia,  Roumania,  Bulgaria,  even  from  America,  but  natur¬ 
ally  the  bulk  come  from  Russia,  where  education  is  now  made  well  nigh  impossible  for 
the  Jewish  child.  The  certificate  of  graduation  is  accepted  for  entrance  to  the  universities 
of  Europe  and  America. 

The  gymnasium  is  the  property  of  the  Jewish  National  Fund,  and  is  governed  by  the 
“Agudath  ha-Gimnasiah  ha-Ibrit.”  The  dues  are  fifty  dollars,  per  annum.  The  members 
elect  a  Board  of  Directors  of  five  persons,  with  the  representatives  of  Zionist  Organization 
and  of  the  ’Hobebei  Zion,  as  ex-officio'.  The  faculty  is  responsible  to  this  board. 

The  chief  source  of  income  is  the  tuition  fees.  Each  pupil  pays  160  to  200  francs 
($32.00  to  $40.00)  per  annum.  The  income  amounts  to  50,000  francs  ($10,000),  while  the 
expenditure  amounts  to'  100,000  francs  ($20,000). 

The  building  in  which  the  gymnasium  is  at  present  housed  is  the  gifts  of  Mr.  Moser, 
late  Lord  Mayor  of  Bradford,  England,  and  cost  about  150,000  francs  ($30,000).  Another 
gift  of  15,000  francs  ($3,000) .  was  contributed  by  Mr.  Efraimsohn  for  a  physico-chemical 
laboratory.  Sir  Adolph  Tuck,  Bart.,  was  at  the  head  of  an  organization  effected  by  the 
Jews  of  England  for  the  purpose  of  collecting  contributions  to  the  fund. 

A  gift  of  $500  means  the  opportunity  of  freei'  tuition  for  one  pupil.  A  sinking  fund  of 
200,000  francs  ($40,000)  was  created  by  Zionists  of  England,  Germany  and  Russia  some  years 
ago.  Dr.  Mossensohn,  its  director,  visited  the  United  States  and  secured  a  number  of  schol¬ 
arships  for  poor  students.  But  if  the  institution  is  to  be  placed  upon  a  lasting  foundation 
a  fund  of  at  least  half  a  million  francs  ($100,000)  is  required. 


Note  5. 


In  the  course  of  his  address  he  remarked:  “Yes,  there  are  schools  in  Jerusalem,  but 
will  they  ever  relieve  the  misery  and  poverty  of  our  people? 

“Will  charity  ever  remedy  a  chronic  disease  of  two  thousand  years?  Charity  (meaning 
Halukah),  as  far  as  the  Jews  of  Jerusalem  are  concerned,  only  intensified  the  wretched 
poverty . 

“Education  and  knowledge  will  only  add  to  their  misery ;  it  will  not  give  bread  to  the 
hungry  and  clothes  to  the  naked.  The  existence  of  a  people  can  not  depend  upon  charity. 
During  my  stay  in  Jerusalem  no  o*ne  in  good  health  ever  approached  me  with  requests 
for  alms.  But  many  besie-ged  me  to  furnish  them  employment . 

“Monteflore  had  good  intentions,  but  he  erred  in  the  means  he  employed  to  carry  out 
his  plans.  He  realized  that  gardening  in  Palestine  is  the  initial  step  towards  farming 
when  he  purchased  his  garden  near  Jaffa.  (For  I  myself  have  met  many  proprietors  of 
gardens  who  are  earning  a  good  income  from  their  labor.)  But  he  was  unfortunate  in 
placing  at  his  garden  managers  who  knew  -nothing  about  gardening,  men  who  never 
thought  that  the  soil  is  best  watered  by  the  sweat  of  the  brow.  They  had  to  depend 
upon  others  to  do  the  work,  which  cannot  be  successful  in  a  community  like  Palestine. 
Monteflore  forgot  that  a  people  that  were  away  from  the  soil  tho'usands  of  years  cannot 
be  transformed  into  farmers  over  night.  Agriculturists  must  be  trained  from  early  youth 
to  be  successful.  .  .  .” 

He  closed  his  remarks  by  saying :  “All  who  visit  Palestine  agree  that  only  through  the 
cultivation  of  the  ground  can  the  salvation  of  Israel  be  brought  about.  The  plan  of  ac¬ 
tivity  I  wish  to  impress  upon  you  hag  for  its  object  the  training  of  the  young  generation 
to  become  tillers  of  the  land.  By  teaching  them  such  an  occupation  you  will  enable  many 
Jews  to  earn  an  honorable  livelihood,  and  you  will  prepare  an  asylum  for  a  whole  popula- 


238 


NOTES 


tions  who  perhaps  tomorrow  will  be  forced  to  flee  en  masse  because  of  the  hatred  of  the 
people  among-  whom  they  live. 

“You  will  accomplish  the  pacific  conquest  of  this  sacred  land,  which  neither  orthodox 
nor  reformer  has  forgotten.  The  Supreme  Being  was  invoked  by  our  fathers  while  the 

rest  of  the  world  was  plunged  into  paganism .  The  magnitude  of  the  task  need  not 

frighten  you,  that  -which  appears  to  be  a  dream  today  may  tomorrow  become  a  reality.’' — 


)  f-  ;  •  '  Note  6. 

Even  the  few  that  could  get  together  sufficient  funds  to  build  dwellings  were  discour¬ 
aged  by  their  friends  of  Jaffa,  who  pointed  out  to  them  the  insecurity  of  investing  their 
last  money  on  buildings  for  the  Arabs  to  destroy.  That  summer  a  revolution  broke 
out  in  Egypt  against  the  Khedive,  who  was  friendly  to  the  foreigners.  A  wild  mob,  at¬ 
tacked  the  foreign  quarters  of  Alexandria,  killed  and  plundered  many  Europeans.  Many 
Alexandrian  Jews  escaped  to  Jaffa  and  Jerusalem.  The  Arabs  of  Palestine,  being  influ¬ 
enced  by  the  conditions  of  their  neighboring  country,  became  agitated  against  foreigner^ 
and  there  was  a  general  feeling  that  a  revolution  might  break  out  in  Palestine  that  would 
endanger  the  lives  and  properties  of  Europeans.  It  was  about  Rosh  Hashanah,  5643  (1882) 
when  the  great  slaughter  took  place  at  Tel-El-Kebir,  near  Cairo,  resulting  in  the  downfall 
of  the  army  of  Arabi-Pasha  and  the  capture  of  Egypt  by  England. 

Yehudah  Loeb  Hankin  was  the  only  one  not  dismayed  by  outside  Influence,  and  at  a 
meeting  he  exclaimed:  “You  may  do  what  you  please;  as  for  myself,  I  begin  early  tomor¬ 
row  to  build  my  home.”  The  words  of  Hankin  made  a  strong  impression  upon  five  others, 
and  the  next  morning  foundations  were  laid  for  several  houses.  But  before  the  cottages 
were  completed  the  rainy  season  came  on,  the  time  for  plowing  and  sowing  approached 
and  they  had  no  agricultural  implements  and  no  seeds.  The  last  money  left  in  the  com¬ 
munal  treasury  was  spent  on  the  ineffectual  experiment  of  obtaining  water. 

On  his  tombstone  at  the  graveyard  in  Jaffa  the  following  epitaph  is  inscribed:  “He 
built  the  first  house  in  Rishon  l’Zion.” 

The  plan  of  developing  the  colony  was  on  a  co-operative  basis.  Each  one  de„ 
posited  a  sum  c ft  money  in  the  communal  treasury,  proportionate  to  the  land  he  owned.) 

Note  7. 

An  extraordinary  tax  of  1000  reals  (3500  francs)  $700  per  annum,  is  raised  from  the 
Jews  there.  Not  content  with  this,  Iman  Yahya,  the  rebel  against  the  Turkish 
rule  in  Yemen,  demanded  from  the  Jews  of  Sanaa  the  taxes  for  forty  yrs,  for  all 
the  time  that  Turkey  ruled  there,*  Since  (the  Jews  could  not  pay  it,  a&  it  was  a  question 
of  140,000  francs  ($28,000),  Imam  Yahya’s  officials  forced  their  way  into  the  Jewish  quar¬ 
ter  of  Sanaa,  arrested  the  men  of  note  and  threw  them  into  prison,  threatening  them  with 
life  imprisonment  unless  they  paid  the  tax  for  forty  years.  Only  at  the  protest  of  Gen¬ 
eral  Izzet  Pasha  did  Imam  Yahya  set  thei  prisoners  free,  but  the  cruel  persecutions  were 
continued  more  and  more  violently. 

To  understand  the  position  correctly,  it  must  be  remembered  that  during  the  whole 
period  the  Turkish  Government  dominated  in  North  Yemen,  and  especially  during  the 
many  years  of  struggle  with  Imam  Yahya,  the  Jews  kept  true  to  the  Turkish  Government. 
The  government,  however,  in  the  treaty  with  Imam,  whereby  he  became  an  independent 
prince,  did  nothing  for  the  Jews,  and  they  have  to  suffer  the  most  terrible  persecution. 

In  order  to  remedy  this  state  of  things,  the  idea  has  arisen  in  Jewish  circles  to 
transplant  the  Yemenite  Jews  to  Palestine,  and  already  about  1300  families  have  emi¬ 
grated  to  that  Country .  If  Palestine  has  not  yet  reached  that  high  degree  of  develop¬ 
ment  in  agriculture  and  industry  of  which  it  is  capable,  still  the  country  can  gradually 
serve,  even  as  regards  agriculture,  as  a  refuge  for  the  10,000  to  12,000  souls  from  North 
Yemen,  who  are  persecuted  the  most. 

In  Rechoboth  and  in  other  colonies,  as  well  as  in  Palestinian  towns,  collections 


NOTES 


239 


and  charity  entertainments  are  made  on  behalf  of  the  oppressed  Yemenite  Jews. 
Already  considerable  amounts  have  been  raised.  The  Jews  of  Palestine  regard  their  re¬ 
lief  work  as  a  national  duty.  •  It  is  not  an  easy  matter,  for  it  is 

connected  with  enormous  expense,  considering  that  almost  the  whole  Jewish  population  of 
North  Yemen  is  preparing  to  emigrate  to;  Palestine.  Every  Jew  sells  there  all  his  prop¬ 
erty  for  as  much  as  he  can  get.  If  the  non-Jews  will  not  buy  them,  they  leave  their 
property  behind  them  and  arrive  absolutely  destituted.  Quite  a  number  of  purely  Jewish 
villages  in  Yemen  are  said  to  be  completely  deserted  already.  The  most  difficult  question 
in  this  wholesale  emigration  for  the  Jews  is  that  of  housing.  In  the  Jewish  colonies  a 
terrible  want  of  dwellings  is  perceptible.  For  these  reasons  the  Jewish  National  Fund 
has  decided  toj  contribute  a  considerable  sum  for  the  building  of  Yemenite  dwellings.  In 
this  country  too  endeavors  were  made  for  this  purpose. 

If  the  Yemenite  Jews,  whose  colloquial  language  is  Hebrew,  succeed  in  settling  in 
Palestine,  it  would  be  of  very  great  value  to1  Jewish  colonization  in  Palestine.  A  settle¬ 
ment  of  the  Yemenite  question  would  help,  in  strengthening  Judaism  in  Palestine. 


Note  8. 

The  watering  of  the  plantation  of  Hulda  was  rather  deficient  until  recently,  and  beset 
with  many  difficulties.  The  managers  of  the  Hulda  estate  decided  to  bore  a  well  upon  the 
spot,  but  the  Palestinian  well-borers  could  penetrate  only  to  a  depth  of  ninety-three  metres, 
on  account  of  the  inadequacy  of  their  instruments.  Thereupon  an  American  company  under¬ 
took  the  task  and  penetrated  to  a  depth  of  one  hundred  and  eighty  metres,  where  -water  was 
found.  Through  its  own  pressure  the  water  rose  to  one  hundred  metres  below  surface.  The 
discovery  of  water  is  regarded  as  an  act  of  salvation,  as  a  motor  with  pipes  can  now  be 
stationed  near  the  well,  so  as  to  convey  the  water  more  easily  to  the  farm  and  gardens  of 
Hulda.  This  well,  one  hundred  and  eighty  metres  deep,  is  the  first  of  its  kind  in  Pales¬ 
tine.  Hitherto  boring  beyond  one  hundred  metres  was  impossible.  The  Jewish  National 
Fund  has  thus  achieved  a  piece  of  pioneer  work. 

Note  9. 

Since  the  Polemic  over  the  Technical  Institute  of  Heifa  in  1913,  when  many  parents  of 
Jerusalem  lost  confidence  in  the  pretended  love  of  the  Hilfsverein  for  the  Hebrew  language, 
and  withdrew  their  children  from  the  German  schools,  a  series  of  schools  parallel  with  that 
of  the  German  society  was  founded  in  Jerusalem  by  the  “Actions  Committee”  of  the  Zionist 
organization.  At  the  head  of  the  new  schools  is  the  eminent  educator  and  scholar,  David 
Yellin.  Now  the  German  society  has  made  capital  of  the  great  war'  raging  among  the  na¬ 
tions  of  Europe,  including  Turkey,  to  arrange  for  an  auction  sale  and  to^  be  the  only  pur¬ 
chasers  of  the  Haifa  school,  that  was  erected  on  a  plot  belonging  to  the  National  Fund, 
and  was  built  by  contributions  made  by  Jews  of  various  sections  of  the  world.  It  is  diffi¬ 
cult  to  foretell  what  the  outcome  of  this  language  controversy  will  be.  The  writer,  however. 
Is  inclined  to  agree  with  Henrietta  Szold,  that  the  last  word  in  the  controversy  will  not 
probably  be  said  by  Berlin. 


Note  10. 

Those  who  are  familiar  with  the  more  obscure  phases  of  Jewish  history  during  the 
last  four  decades  believe  that  the  Baron  was  at  the  back  of  Sir  Laurence  Oliphant’s  enter¬ 
prises  in  1880. 

Another  version  is  that  Baron  Hirsch’s  lack  of  interest  for  Palestine  was  due  to  the 
fact  that  he  was  a  persona  non  grata  at  Constantinople  owing  to  old  grudges  against  him  for 
certain  railroad  ventures  he  contracted  for  the  Ottoman  empire. 


240 


NOTES 


Adam  Rosenberg,  leader  of  the  old  Shovel  Zion  of  New  York,  has  clarified  the  question 
by  producing  a  letter  in  the  French  language  which  was  in  his  possession  since  1891,  written 
by  Baron  Hirsch  himself  and  dated  at  Carlsbad  the  same  year.  The  letter  is  addressed  to 
S.  P.  Rabbinowitz,  Rabbi  S.  Mohiliver  and  Rabbi  Hirsch  Hildesheimer,  wherein  he  recom¬ 
mends  that  a  commission  be  sent  to  Palestine  before  any  practical  work  is  undertaken,  and 
that  negotiations  be  taken  up  with  the  Turkish  government  to  obtain  the  best  possible  terms 
to  facilitate  immigration  and  the  purchase  of  land  in  Palestine. 

He  closes  the  letter  saying:  “But  as  I  have  said  at  the  start  if  the  deputation  persists 
in  their  project,  I  am  quite  disposed  to  place  at  their  disposal  both  my  influence  and  my 
active  cooperation  with  the  imperial  Ottoman  government.’’ 

Note  ii. 

It  has  a  triangular  long  stem,  occasionally  more  than  fifteen  feet  long,  bearing  flat, 
smooth  leaves  springing  from  an  offshoot  near  the  ground.  From  a  distance  it  looks  like  a 
small  palm  tree.  Our  word  “paper”  comes  from  Papyrus,  which  is  an  old  name  for1  Reed 
plant. 

It  was  the  custom  in  ancient  times  to  fashion  from  the  inner  bark  sheets  long,  thin, 
and  narrow,  resembling  strips  cut  from  a  palm  leaf,  upon  which  letters  were  written  in 
ink.  Some  of  the  Papyrus  discovered  in  Egypt  were  attached  to<  each  other,  reaching  a 
length  of  133  feet. 

In  the  Sage  Library  of  New  York  there  was  a  Papyrus  about  45  feet  long,  containing 
the  mysterious  chapters  of  the  famous  Book  of  Dead. 

In  ancient  times  the  Papyrus  reed  grew  profusely  around  the  Nile.  At  present  they  are 
very  scarce  there.  The  prophecy  of  Isaiah  concerning  Egypt  was  fulfilled :  “And  they  shall 
turn  the  rivers  far  away  and  the  brook  of  defense  shall  be  emptied  and  dried  up.  The  reeds 
and  flags  shall  wither.”  Is.  19  :  6. 


Note  12. 

“To  us,”  he  wrote  in  reply,  “Jerusalem  is  as  precious,  aye,  and  more  precious,  than  it 
is  to  you,  in  that  it  was  the  place  whence  our  Prophet  made  his  journey  by  night  to  heaven, 
and  is  destined  to  be  the  last  gathering  place  of  our  natioit  at  the  last  day.  Do  not  dream 
that  we  shall  give  it  up  to  you.”  In  June  of  the  following  year  King  Richard  of  England 
and  his  army,  stationed  outside  Askalon,  were  ready  for  the  march,  set  out  for 
Jerusalem. 

When  the  Turks  who  dwelt  in  Jerusalem  heard  from  the  fugitives  that  King  Rich¬ 
ard  was  approaching,  they  were  terribly  afraid,  so  much  so  that,  had  the  King,at  that  mo¬ 
ment  advanced  in  full  force,  the  Turks  would  assuredly  have  forsaken  Palestine.  Even 
Saladin  had  called  for  his  best  horse,  so  that  he  might  flee  from  the  face  of  King  Richard, 
whose  coming  he  dared  not  await.  But  King  Richard,  taking  counsel  of  discretion,  de¬ 
termined  otherwise.  “The  circuit  of  Jerusalem,”  he  said,  “so  far  as  we  hear,  is  very  large, 
and,  if  our  little  host  were  to  attempt  to  close*  ifl  in  on  every  side,  our  numbers  would  not 
suffice  for  the  siege  and  the  protection  of  those  who  bring  up  our  stores.”  Therefore,  he 
withdrew  his  forces,  and,  after  some  delay  caused  by  illness,  returned  to  Europe,  where  he 
was  betrayed  by  a  spy  and  imprisoned  in  Austria. 

Note  13. 

“The  believers  in  climatic  change,”  said  Elsworth  Huntington,  “attribute  the  supposed 
phenomenon  to  deforestation.  They  point  to  the  frequent  mention  of  forests  in  the  Old  Tes¬ 
tament,  a  fact  which  certainly  suggests  a  state  of  affairs  different  from  that  of  today.  For 
instance,  when  the  Israelites  entered  Palestine  they  appear  to  have  found  the  country  well 


NOTES 


241 


covered  with  forests,  which  it  was  necessary  to  clear  away  before  they  could  take  possession 
of  the  land.  In  Joshua  xvii:14-18,  we  read  that  when  the  country  was  divided  among  the 
twelve  tribes,  Ephraim'  and  Manasseh  received  the  central  part  of  the  country,  the  region 
later  known  as  Samaria.  The  children  of  Ephraim  and  of  Manasseh  complained  that  the 
country  allotted  to  them  was  not  large  enough.  To  this  Joshua  answered:  ‘If  thou  be  a 
great  people,  get  thee  up)  to  the  forest,  and  cut  down  for  thyself  there  in  the  land  of  the 
Perizzites  and  of  the  Rephaim.  since  the  hill  country  of  Ephraim  is  too  narrow  for  thee." 
And  the  children  of  Joseph  said:  ‘The  hill  country  is  not  enough  for  us;  and  all  the  Canaau- 
ites  that  dwell  in  the  land  of  the  valley  have*  chariots  of  iron,  both  they  who  are  in  Beth- 
shean  and  its  towns,  and  they  "who  are  in  the  valley  of  Jezreel.’  And  Joshua  answered  Eph¬ 
raim  and  Manasseh,  saying:  ‘Thou  art  a  great  people,  and  hast  great  power;  thou  shalt  not 
have  one  lot  only,  but  the  hill  country  shall  be  thine;  for  though  it  is  a  forest,  thou  shalt 
cut  it  down”  (Revised  Version). 


Note  14. 

This  opinion  is  shared  by  the  Palestinean  explorer,  Dr.  Heinrich  Hildersctfieide,  who 
says:  “It  is  presupposed  that  there  have  been  radical  changes  in  the  climate  of  Palestine  in 
historic  time,  and  that  these  changes  have  been  produced  by  the  ruthless  destruction  of  the 
forests.  Now,  the  fact  in  the  case  is  that  we  have  no  proofs  whatever  that  the  forests  of 
Palestine  were  in  the  Biblical  times  any  more  extensive  than  they  are  now.  We  have  no 
evidence  from  any  author  of  note  that  there  ever  has  been  such  ai  ruthless  destruction  of 
forests.  No  passage  in  either  the  Talmud  or1  the  Bible  permits  us  to  draw  the  conclusion 
that  in  former  times  the  average)  of  rain  fall  was  any  greater  than  it  is  at  present.  Ever 
since  meteorological  observations  have  been  scientifically  taken  in  Palestine  (and  in  some 
cases,  as  in  that  of  Jerusalem,  these  go  back  for  decades),  the  climatic  conditions  have  re¬ 
mained  practically  the  same.  In  fact,  ’the  rain-producing  causes,  such  as  being  near  the 
Mediterranean  Sea,  are  the  same  as  they  wTere  in  Biblical  times.” 

“There  is  accordingly  no  evidence  in  history  or  science  to  show  that  the  climate  of  Pal¬ 
estine  has  changed  materially  from  the  time  when  the  land  flowed  with  milk  and  honey  to 
the  present  age,  when  so  much  of  the  country  is  a  stony  and  barren  waste.  Other  causes 
have  been  operative,  and  these  have  been  chiefly  direful  and  destructive  political  conditions 
that  began  as  early  as  the  period  of  the  decline  of  the  Roman  Empire,  and  have  reached  their 
acme  in  the  corrupt  Turkish  rule  of  the  last  four  centuries,  the  oppression  of  the  officials, 
the  management  of  the  taxes  and  the  like.  The  people  have  in  the  course  of  time  become 
indifferent  to  all  progress,  as  progress  only  signified  new  oppression.  There  can  be  no  doubt 
that  this  historic  land,  if  put  under  proper  care  and  correctly  managed,  can  be  restored  to 
its  former  flourishing  condition.  The  ocular  proof  of  this  can  be  seen  in  the  very  flourishing 
condition  of  the  Wurttemberg  Temple  colonies,  which  were  established  in  1868  near  Jerusa¬ 
lem,  Sharon  and  Haifa,  and  which,  are  veritable  garden  spots  in  the  land,  and  that  too  in 
localities  that  before  the  days  of  these  colonies  were  virtually  desert  land. 

See  Zeitschrift  des  Deutscher  Palestina  Vereins  (Leipsic),  Nos.  1  and  2. 


Note  15. 

While  preparing  this  chapter  for  publication  the  British  War  Cabinet  made  known 
(Nov.  2,  1917),  through  the  Hon.  Arthur  J.  Balfour,  Secretary  of  State  for  Foreign  Affairs, 
that  “His  Majesty’s  Government  views  with  favor  the  establishment  in  Palestine  of  a  national 
home  for  the  Jewish  People  and  will  use  its  best  endeavors  to  facilitate  the  achievement  of 
this  object.  It  being  clearly  understood  that  nothing  will  be  done  which  may  prejudice  the 
civil  and  religious  rights  of  non  Jewdsh  communities  in  Palestine  of  the  rights  and  political 
status  enjoyed  by  Jews  in  any  other  country. 


INDEX  TO  BIBLICAL  AND  TALMUDIC  REFERENCES 


Genesis 

XXXI:  40 .  59 

XXV:  34  .  62 

XXV:  13  .  62 

L:  10-12  .  83 

XXIV:  11  .  97 

XIV :  18  . 114 

XXVII:  3  . 168 

X:19  . 214 

XV:  18  . 215 

Exodus 

XXX:  13 .  19 

XVI:  31  .  68 

III: 8  .  68 

XV:  26  . 127 

Leviticus 

XXII:  5 .  85 

XIII:2-9  . 232 

Numbers 

XXII:  25  .  68 

XIII:  27  .  68 

XXI:  12  .  52 

XXXV:  13-19  ....  92 

XII:  23  . 162 

XXXV:  2-12  . 215 

XXXIV: 7  . 215 

1:46 . 216 

Deuteronomy 

XVII:  16 .  20 

XXV: 4 .  83 

XXI:  1-2  .  92 

XXVIII: 66  . 2, 

XXXIV: 3  . 2 23 

XII:  15  . 232 

Joshua 

XIX:  46  .  29 

XV:  41  .  97 

XV:  36  .  69 

X:  13  . Ill 

XVI:  3  . 164 

XXI:  21  . 164 

XIX: 3  . 165 


Page 


Joshua 

XIX:15  . 168 

XIX: 44  . 178 

XIX: 46  . 178 

XIX:  25  . 180 

XI:  1  . 195 

XVII:  14-1 8  . 241 

Judges 

XV:  19  .  45 

XV:  1  .  83 

XIX:1  .  94 

XVI:  4  .  94 

XIII:  24  .  97 

V:13  . 110 

XIV:  1-16  . 110 

XIII:2  . 110 

XV: 5 .  Ill 

XIII:  16  . Ill 

XV: 4  . 165 

XX:  1  . 214 

1:16  . 223 

IV: 6  . 225 

V:2  .  47 

V:12  .  90 

V:14  .  90 

V:10  .  97 

VI:  1-18  .  97 

XIV:  2  . 110 


I.  Samuel 

XVII:  2  . 110 

1:6  . 110 

XXIV:  °  Ill 

XIII:  19  . 197 

V:  6-9-12  . 132 


II.  Samuel 

X:  16  .  6S 

XXIV: 21  .  68 

XXIV :  19  .  83 

111:31  .  91 

XIII:  18  . 168 

111:10  . 214 

XXIV: 9  . 216 


Page 

I.  Kings 

VI:  9  . 110 

VIII:  41-42  . 123 

IX:  15-17  . 164 

IV:  12  . 196 

II.  Kings 

XIX: 26  . 165 

XVIII:  13-16  . 

Isaiah 

XIX:  13  .  17 

XIX:  19  .  18 

LXV :  10  .  32 

XXXV:  2  .  33 

VII:  15-22  .  68 

1:8 .  72 

XVII:  5  .  77 

XL: 3-4  .  78 

11:3  . 234 

XIX:  6  . 240 

Jeremiah 

XLIII:13  .  15 

11:16  .  17 

XL VI:  17  .  17 

XLVI :  19  .  19 

XLIL1-7  .  20 

XI:  5  .  68 

XXI: 9  .  70 

XI:  17  .  91 

XXX:  18  . 114 

XXXVII:  21  . 116 

Ezekiel 

XXX:  13-16  17 

XX: 5-6  .  68 

XXXVIII: 20  ....111 

XLVII:  19  . 197 

XXXIV: 7  . 215 

Hosea 

XV: 6  .  17 

V  l :  t  . 103 


Joel 

IV:  2-12 

111:15  . 


242 


136 

165 


Index  to  Biblical  and  Talmudic  References— Continued 


Page 


Amos 

1:13 .  61 

111:15  . 165 

Zechariah 

III: 8  .  5 

XI:  10  .  29 

XI:  16  . 197 


Malachi 

"111:1 


Psalms 

CXXXVII  .  2 

CVII:  66  .  28 

CXXVI :  5  .  77 

CXXIX:7  .  77 

VI:  6  .  91 

XLVI:8  .  91 

XXIII  . .  9 

XLVIII:3  . 114 

CXXVII :  13  . 123 

CXXIX:  6  . 165 

LXXXIX:  13  ....225 
XXIII:  2 . 172 

Proverbs 

XXV:  2  . 172 

The  Song  of  Songs 

11:1  32 

1:5  . 

II  *  17 . o3 

11:5  .  72 

11:14  . 200 

Ruth 

11:14  .  78 

Lamentation 

1:4 .  46 

Ezra 

III: 7  .  29 

11:23  . 104 


Nehemiah 

IV:  10  . 

XI:  35 . 104 

VII:  37  . 

11:3  . 135 


Page 


II.  Chronicles 

11:15  .  29 

XLII:3  . 216 

IV:  7  . 216 

XXV:  5  . 216 

XVII:  14-18  . 216 

I.  Maccabees 

X:86  .  29 

XIII:  20  . 105 

XI:  20  . 106 

II.  Maccabees 

XII:  3-4-5  .  29 

Sirach 

XXXVI:  25  . 19S 

MISHNAH 

Moed  Kotton 

1:3  . 200 

Shebiith 

III: 8  . 200 

11:2  . 200 

V :  6  . 200 

Abot.b 

1:14  .  38 

JERUSALEM 

TALMUD 

Horeyoth 

8  . 144 

Sukkah 

11:2  . 132 

Yoma 

X:3  .  48 


BABYLONIAN 

TALMUD 

Abodah  Zarah 


52a  .  18 

Berachoth 

44b  .  68 


Baba  Mezia 

116a  . 

Page 

.  43 

Baba  Bathra 
29a  . 

.  43 

36b  . 

.  43 

Bezah 

25 . 

. 144 

Hulin 

6b  . 

. 200 

134b  . 

. 144 

Kiddushin 

59a  . 

. 114 

Megillah 

13 . 

.  12 

Menahoth 

109 . 

.  18 

103b  . 

. 200 

Pesachim 

49b  . 

Shabbath 

76b  .  68 

154b  .  68 

Sanhedrin 

56b  . 201 

Sukkah 


51b  . 

. . .  8 

51b  . 

. . .114 

45b  . 

...112 

Yebamoth 

63a  . 

...200 

Yoma 

38b  . 

...29 

45b  . 

. .  .131 

54a  . 

...131 

Vayikra  Rabba 

1:1  . 

...12 

I.  Chronicles 

XXVII:  29  .  32 


XXVII:  28  .  48 

VI:  12  . 104 

XXI:  5  . 


Baba  Kama 

95a . 

.  43 

38a  . 

.  68 

79b  . 

. 126 

80a  . 

_ 126 

Leviticus  Rabba 
XXIII  . 

Eec’l  Rabba 
11:20  . 


201 


243 


INDEX 


A 


Aaronson,  A.,  . 51,  161 

Ab,  ninth  of . 45 

Abarbanel,  Don  Isaac,  . 4,  157 

Abd  el-Hamid,  .  113 

Abd  el-Melek,  Caliph,  . 130,  202 

Abderrahman,  III,  Caliph,  of 

Cordova .  203 

Abelei  zion .  202 

Abijah .  216 

Abraham  el-Constantine,  Rabbi,..  133 

Abraham's  Vineyard .  149 

Abramowitz,  A .  61 

Abu  Bekr,  .  12,  201 

Abulafia,  Hayim,  .  210 

Abu  Shusheh,  .  161 

Acacia,  .  48 

Achad  ha’  Aam . xl,  xli,  213,  235 

Acropolis,  .  128 

Adath  Ashkenazim  Perushim . 141 

Adjami .  139 

Adler,  Rabbi  Nathan, . xv 

Adler,  E.  N..  (cited)  . 171 

Aelia  Capitolina,  . 114,  199 

Agiman,  Isaiah,  .  34 

Agricultural  Department  Exper¬ 
iment  Station  of  California, 

U.  S.  A.,  .  222 

Agricultural  School  Mikveh  Israel,  39 

Petach  Tikvah,  .  177 

Agricultural  Tithes .  19S 

Agriculture,  in  the  Talmud, .  200 

Agriculture,  a  Solution  of  the 

Jewish  Question,  . xxiii 

Agrippa,  II,  .  198 

Agudath  Gymnasia  Ibrith,  .  237 

Agudath  Hamorim .  189 

Agudath  Netaim,  .  65 

Aim  of  Zionism,  .  xlix 

Ain  Ganim, . 177 

Ain  Shemesh,  .  97 


Ajun  Kara,  .  45 

Akiba,  Rabbi,  . 94,  198,  213 

Akiba  ben  Joseph, . xxxi 

Akier .  90 

Al-Fostat .  12 

Algeria,  flora  of, . 227 

ALHarizi,  .  206 

Alkali,  Judah  Rabbi,  .  xv 

Alkija .  164 

Alliance  Israelite  Univers- 

elle,  . xx,  xxxvi,  22,  39 

Alexander  II,  .  xxxvi 

Alexander  III,  .  xxxvi 

Alexander  Jannai,  .  184 

Alexander,  Moses .  139 

Alexander,  the  Great,  . 7,  30 

Alexandria,  .  6 

Alexandria,  Modern,  .  7 

Alexandrian  Library,  . 8 

Alexandretta,  .  215 

Alps,  (Palestinian)  .  225 

Alroy,  David .  xxiv 

A1  Shafa-Amr,  .  212 

Amaziah, . 216 

America,  Immigration  to .  xxxvi 

Amoraim,  .  33 

Am  Haarez,  .  198 

Am  Olam, . xxxvii 

Amun-Mai  Rameses, . 17 

Amru,  .  8 

Amru  Ibn  Al-Asi,  .  12 

Amzalack  H.,  .  236 

Anan  ben  Saul .  127 

Anapheles .  233 

Andromeda,  .  27 

Anglo-Jewish  Association,  . .  .xx,  151 

Anglo  Palestine  Bank,  . 35,  54 

Ankel,  .  218,  220 

Anthony,  .  29,  224 

Anthropology,  .  xi,  xii 

Anti-Jewish  Outbreaks  in  Russia  xxxvi 
Anti-Lebanon,  .  226 


245 


246 


INDEX 


Antioch,  .  215 

Antiochus,  .  135 

Antipatris,  .  104,  183 

Antisemitism,. .  .xxxix  in  Germany  xii 

Apocryphal  Novel,  .  14 

Apolonia,  .  184 

Arab  Labor,  .  194 

Arabi  Pasha,  .  238 

Arabic  Museum .  11 

Araunah — field  of  .  131 

Archaleus,  .  29 

Arch  of  Titus,  .  118 

Argentine  Colonies,  . xxxii 

Argur,  (Mongolian  Khan,) .  206 

Arnon,  River,  .  214 

Aronowitz,  Joseph,  .  37 

Arsuf,  .  184,  205 

Artificial  irrigation,  .  177 

Artuff,  .  97 

Asenath,  .  14 

Ashkenazim, .  140,  142 

Askelon,  .  205 

Aspect  of  Mikveh  Israel,  .  30 

Assimilation, . xii,  xiii,  xiv 

Assyrian  Inscription,  .  216 

Athens,  . 117,  118 

Athid,  .  105 

Attica,  .  219 

Auerbach,  Rabbi  Mayer  .  178 

Augustus,  . 29 

Aujeh,  .  168-182 

Aurelius  Marcus, .  199 

Auto-Emancipation,  . xxxvi 


B 


Baal,  .  109 

Baalbec,  . *  118 

Baal  Shem  Tob,  .  144 

Baal  Zebub . 90 

Babylon,  . 7 

Bajazeb  II,  .  139,  208 

Bakers’  Street  (in  Jerusalem) . . .  .116 

Baldensperger,  .  67 

Baldwin  II,  (King  of  Jerusalem)  28-205 

Balfour,  Hon.  Arthur,  . xxx,  241 

Barak,  .  225 

Bar  Cochba,.  .xxxi,  xxxiv,  94,  112,  199 

Ba-Satin,  .  13 


Basle  Congress,  .  1 

Basra,  .  70 

Bassus,  .  197 

Bab-el-Rahama,  .  132 

Bath  Shlomo,  .  185 

Bath-Yoh,  .  12 

Bayare,  .  172 

Bazaars,  (in  Jerusalem)  . 115 

Beaconsfield,  Lord . 211 

Beduins,  .  62 

Beer  Sheba, .  Ill 

Beer  Tobiah, .  89 

Beit  el-Mikdash,  .  114 

Beitfar,  .  97 

Belkin,  Israel,  .  105-198 

Ben  Abi,  Itamar,  .  108 

Benjamin,  J.  J.,  II,  . 11,  134 

Benjamin  of  Tiberias,  .  201 

Benjamin  of  Tudela,  . 20,  205 

Ben  Shemen,  .  99 

Bent-Anat,  .  12 

Ben  Yehudah,  Eliezer,.  .xxxv,  153,  154 

Bergheim,  M.,  .  165 

Beth  Am, . 37,  52,  64,  180 

Beth  Ariff,  .  105 

Beth  Dagon,  .  47 

Beth  Din,  .  22 

Bethar,  .  112 

Beth  Hakneseth  Shel  Ezra,  .  13 

Beth  Hamidrash,  .  xxxiii,  157 

Beth  Hamidrash  Doresh  Zion,  ...157 

Beth  Hasefer  l’Banoth, . 36,  160 

Beth  Horen,  .  110 

Beth  Shemesh,  . 13-111 

Beth  Zekenim,  .  161 

Betrandon  de  Le  Brocquire,  .  33 

Bezalel,  (School  of  Arts  and 

Crafts,)  . 113,  147,  148,  152 

Bialik,  H.  N., . 36 

Bialostock,  . xlvii,  180 

Biblia  Polyglota,  .  157 

Bilu  Settlement, . 77 

Bilu  Organization,  . xlvi,  57,  88 

Bing,  Lazer  Levy,  .  xx 

Biretas,  .  119 

Bismark,  .  88 

Blackstone,  Rev.  E  ,  .  xxxii 

Blain,  James  G.,  .  xxxii 

Blind  Asylum, . 160 

Bloch,  Alfonso  M.,  .  60,  95 


INDEX 


247 


Blumenthal  School, . 151 

Bnei  Berak, .  198 

Bnei  Brith  Lodge, . 37,  151,  157 

Boerne,  Ludwig,  .  xii 

Bogratschoff,  Ch.,  .  237 

Bosnian  Colony,  (in  Palestine)  . .  167 
Botei  Mishkenoth  Shaananim,  ....  183 

Boustrous,  Rue, .  35 

Brainin,  Reuben, . xxxvi 

Braude,  Jacob .  75 

Bright’s  disease,  (in  Palestine)  ....  95 

Brill,  Yehiel,  .  xlvi 

Brill,  (Manager  of  the  “Ika”)  . .  95,  96 
Brith  Millah  Celebration, 

(in  Jerusalem),  .  149 

British  Declaration,  .  241 

Bronchitis,  (in  Palestine)  ....  231,  234 

Brook  of  Kidron,  .  137 

Buber,  Solomon, . 157 

Bukeah,  (see  Pkiin)  . 210 

Bulan,  King  of  Chazars, .  203 

Burton,  Sir  Richard,  Captain, 

(quoted)  .  216 

Byron,  Lord,  (quoted)  . xxvii 


Byzantine  Rule  of  Palestine,  . .  8,  201 

C 


Cabbala,  the,  .  208 

Caesarea,  .  29,  202 

Caftan,  .  119 

Cairo,  .  10 

California — 

The  Palestine  of  America  . .  227 

Caliph, .  130,  202,  203 

Caplan,  Eliezer,  . 75 

Caravan,  . 193 

Carmel,  Mount,  .  224,  228 

Carmel,  Oriental,  .  35 

Cassius,  .  104 

Cassiopea,  .  21 

Castinieh,  .  89 

Catacombs,  .  6 

Cattaue,  Sir  Moses  Bey . 21 

Catwyk,  .  33 

Cazalet,  Edward,  .  xxix 

Central  Jewish  Colonization 

Society  of  Roumania,  .  xlix 

Central  Jewish  National  Library,. .  156 

Cepheus,  .  27 

Chalukah .  139 


Chanukah,  .  105 

Charkov,  Birth  Place  of  “Bilu,”  . .  88 

Chelo,  Isaac,  .  207 

Cholera,  (in  Palestine),  .  232 

Chosroes  II,  .  201 

Chobebei  Zion,  .  xlviii 

Christian  Pilgrims,  .  46 

Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  ..  126 

Churvah,  .  123 

Citadel  of  Cairo,  .  11 

Circassian  Jews,  .  167 

Cleopatra,  .  29,  220,  24 

Cleopatra’s  Needle,  .  15 

Climate  of  Palestine,  . . .  159,  223,  226 
Climatic  Changes,  (Palestine)  220,  229 

Cohen,  Albert,  .  xv,  xx,  42: 

Cohen,  Judith,  .  xxiii 

Cohen,  Mordecai,  .  xxv 

Collinpal,  Sulphur  baths  of .  231 

Commerce,  (in  Palestine) .  37 

Communita,  .  21 

Comparative  Study  of  Palestine  . . .  217 

Conder,  Col.  C.  R.,  (quoted)  .  xx, 

115,  128,  217 

Coningsby,  (cited)  .  xxv 

Co-operative  plantations,  .  175 

Cremieux,  Adolphe,  .  xv,  22,  211 

Cresson,  Warder,  .  xxii,  210 

Crocodile  River, .  192 

Crusaders .  103,  119.  184 

Cuinet,  Vital,  .  215 

D 

Da  Costa  Isaac,  (quoted)  . xxi 

Dagon,  gods  of  .  94 

Damascus  Affair,  xi,  xiv,  xvi,  xxiii.  214 

Dan,  Land  apportioned  to .  214 

Daniel  Deronda,  .  xxv 

Darb-Al-Yehud,  . 29 

David  Street, . 115 

Dead  Sea,  .  223 

Dead  Valley,  .  223 

Debe,  .  Ill 

Deborah,  .  108,  154,  225 

Deir  Aban .  110 

Deir-el  Bahark,  .  17 

Desert  El-Tih,  .  215 

Desert  of  Arabia, . 16 

Dew,  (see  Tal)  .  227 

Digur .  57 


248 


INDEX 


Diospolis,  _ 104 

Disraeli,  Benjamin  (Beaeonsfield)  and 
Palestine,  .xxii,  xxiii,  xxiv,  xxviii 

District  Vaad, . 53 

Division  of  Palestine,  . .  216 

Dolitzky,  M.  M.,  . xlviii 

Dome  of  the  Rock,  . 129 

Dominah,  Hanna .  24 

Domitian,  .  118 

Dor .  29 

Dreyfus  Affair,  influencing  Zionism,  xi 

Drishath  Zion, . xv 

Drusgenik  Conference,  .  xlvil 

Dumas,  Alexander  Fils,  . xxvii 

Dunant  Henry,  .  xx 

Duran, . 75 


Epitaph  to  J.  Hankin,  .  230 

Erez  Israel,  .  45 

Erlanger,  Michael, . xlvi,  57,  94 

Erter,  Isaac,  .  153 

Esraelon,  .  224 

Eshua, . 97 

Eshumanezer, .  29 

Estori  ha’  Farhi, .  207,  215 

Ethnarch, . 8 

Excavations,  (in  Palestine)  . 115 

Export  of  Jaffa .  37 

Export  of  Petach  Tikvah, . 176 

Ezra .  xxxi,  13,  213 

Ezira  Society .  76 

Ezra  Street .  76 


E 


East  India  Company,  .  xxix 

Eben  Shethiyah, . 130 

Ecole  Payante,  . 23 

Education,  Jewish,  .  36,  37 

Egypt,  .  5 

Einsler,  Dr .  232 

Ekron,  . . . xlvi,  83,  89,  94,  95 

Eisenberg,  Aaron,  .  71 

Eisenberg,  Carmi,  .  65 

Eisband,  .  61 

Eisman,  .  61 

Eliasberg,  Jonathan .  xviii 

Eliasberg,  Mordecai,  .  xviii 

Elijah  Baal  Shem  Tob . 144 

Eliot,  George,  (quoted)  . .  xxviii,  xxxii 

El  Aksa,  .  132 

El  Borak . 127 

El  Falik,  .  129 

El  Kuds, . 113 

El  Kastineh,  . 89 

El  Yehud,  .  177,  180 

Elizabethgrad,  .  xxxvi 

EmaUs,  .  100 

Emancipation,  .  xlvi 

Engels,  Friedrich, . xli 

Ephraim .  14 

Epiculture, . 67 

Epidemics,  (in  Palestine)  . 232 

Epistle  to  Hebrews, . xxxii 

Epitaph  to  Netter,  .  44 


Farm  School,  .  39 

Fedja, . 177 

Feinberg,  Israel, . 36-61 

Fellahin,  .  46 

Ferdinand  of  Aragon, . 208 

Fertility  of  Palestine, .  62,  64,  221 

Finn,  Mrs.  James  .  149 

Fischer,  .  218 

Flag,  Origin  of  Jewish  . .  65 

Flora,  of  Palestine,  .  67,  226 

Fraas,  .  Z18 

Franco,  M.,  .  34 

Frankel,  Francis  J.,  .  xix 

Frankel,  Ludwig  August,  .  150 

Frankel,  Zacharias,  .  xiv 

Franks,  .  69 

Frederick,  II,  .  205 

Friedrich  Wilhelm,  IV,  .  xiv 

Freiman,  Jacob,  .  52 

Frumkin,  M.,  .  108 

Fuerst’s  Orient,  .  xviii 

G 

Galilee,  .  201,  216 

Gallus,  Cestius,  .  104 

Gamaliel,  II,  .  198 

Gan  Samuel, .  xlviii,  190 

Ganneau,  M.  Clemont,  .  115,  164 

Gan  Yeloadim,  .  151 

Gaza,  .  214 

Gedaliah,  H .  236 


INDEX 


249* 


Geiger,  Abraham,  .  xiii 

Genizah,  .  13,  204 

Genasereth,  Lake,  .  229 

Gerizim,  .  228 

German  Measles,  (in  Palestine)  . .  234 

Germany,  .  227 

Gezer,  .  164 

Ghederah,  .  231 

Ghetto  Jew,  .  xliii 

Gilboah,  .  228 

Gilead,  .  xixx 

Giller,  .  99 

Ginsburg,  Asher,  . xli,  53 

Ginsburg,  M.  A.,  .  53 

Ginzei  Joseph,  .  153 

Gizbar,  .  52 

Gleaners,  .  77 

Gluskin,  Wolf,  .  75 

Goldberg,  B .  52 

Goldberg,  H., . 236 

Goldman .  41 

Goldman  Jacob,  .  34 

Goluth,  .  5 

Goral  Laadonai .  xvi 

Gordon,  David,  .  xxxiv,  153 

Gordon,  Yehndah  Loeb,  . .  xxxvii,  153 

Goren,  .  81,  83,  188 

Graetz,  Heinrich,  .  xix 

Greek  Revolution,  .  xiv 

Gruenhut,  Dr.,  .  177 

Greenstone,  Julius  H.,  (quoted)  . .  xvi 

Gawler,  Col.,  .  xxix 

Gubail,  .  205 

Guerin,  .  105 

Gutmacher,  E.,  Rabbi, . xv,  178 

Guthman,  David,  .  180 

Gymnasia  Ibrith,  .  36,  236 


H 


Habimah,  .  155 

Hachinuch,  .  37 

Hadrian,  .  114,  198,  199 

Hagigah,  .  75 

Hagiz,  Moses,  .  145 

Haham  Bashi,  .  34 

Halukah,  .  139,  143 

Halevy,  Judah,  .  35,  121 

Hama,  .  215 

Hamburg  Prayer  Book,  .  xiv 


Hankin,  J.  L.,  . . . 61. 

Hankin,  Joshuah,  .  190,  230 

Haram  Esh  Sherif,  . 130 

Harrison,  Benjamin, 

(President  U.  S.  A.)  . . .  xxxii 

Harvest  Season,  (in  Palestine)  . .  77 

Hasdai  Ibn  Shaprut,  .  203 

Haskalah,  . xxxiii. 

Hasmonean,  .  29 

Hatikvah,  .  25 

Hazakah,  . 43 

Hazanowitz,  Dr.  Joseph,  .  15$ 

Hazar  Shaul,  .  1C5 

Health  Condition,  (in  Palestine) . .  169 

Hebraic  Spirit,  .  xliii 

Hebraism,  .  xlviii 

Hebraized  Names,  .  109 

Hebrath  Yishub  Frez  Israel,  . xvi 

Hebrew  Gymnasium,  . — .  236 

Hebrew  Dramatic  Club,  .  37 

Hebrew  Language,  . . .  xiv,  37,  152,  153 

Hebrew  Melodies,  .  xxviii 

Hederah, .  187,  188,  189,  190 

Height  of  Judea,  .  167 

Heilprin,  Michael,  .  65,  177 

Heine,  Heinrich,  .  xii 

Helena,  Queen,  .  133 

Heliopolis,  . 14 

Hephzi  Bah,  .  189 

Heraclius,  . 201 

Herbert,  .  61 

Hermon,  Mount,  .  214,  225 

Herod,  .  124,  224 

Herodotus,  .  7,  14’ 

Herzl,  Theodore,  xxxix,  47,  97,  99,  213 

Herzl-Wald,  . - .  221 

Herzl-Cedar,  . 212 

Herzl-Nordau  Period,  .  xi 

Hess,  Moses  (quoted)  . .  xi,  xvi,  xvii 

Hess,  influencing  Graetz,  .  xix 

Hess,  follower  of  Carl  Marx, . xvi 

Hess,  follower  of  Fredrich  Engels  xvi 

Hess-Kalischer  period,  .  xi 

Hezekiah,  King  of  Judah,  . .  xxxiii,  216 

Pligh  Way,  (historic)  .  46 

Hildescheide,  H.,  (cited)  ....  220,  241 
Hildesheimer,  Rabbi 

Israel,  .  88,  180,  218,  240 

Hillel,  .  xxxvii 

Hiram,  King  of  Tyre,  .  46' 


Hirbet  el-Yehud,  . .  112' 


250 


INDEX 


Hirsch,  Baron  Maurice 

de,  .  xxxii,  42,  240,  270,  239 

Hirsch  Captain,  (of  Mikveh  Israel)  57 

History  of  Petach  Tikvah,  .  178 

“  Ekron,  .  94 

“  Hedera,  .  190 

“  Jaffa .  33 

“  Katra,  .  85 

“  Mikveh  Israel,  .  42 

“  Rechoboth,  .  76 

“  Rishon,  .  54 

“  Vadi  el  Hanin,  .  64 

“  Zichron  Jaacob,  .  194 

Hilfsverein  der  Deutschen 

Juden,  .  36,  151 

Hobebei  Zion, . xi,  xlv,  xli,  xxxix 

Hobebei  Zion  Period,  .  xi 

Holdheim,  Rabbi  Samuel, . xiii 

Holy  Ark,  .  90 

Holy  City,  .  46 

Holy  Sepulchre,  .  xxx 

Home  of  the  Hasmoneans,  .  102 

Honey  of  Palestine,  .  68 

Hospitals  Bikur  Cholim,  .  160 

“  Lem  a  an  Zion,  .  160 

“  Misgab  Ladach,  .  166 

“  Petach  Tikvah,  .  169 

“  Rothschild,  .  160 

“  Shaarei  Zion,  .  37 

“  Zichron  Jaacob,  .  193 

Hotels,  . 10,  100 

Hot  Springs,  . 231 

Hulda,  .  97,  221,  239 

Hull,  .  218 

Hunt,  Holman,  .  xxviii 

Huntington,  Elsworth,  (quot.)  219,  240 

Hyrcanus,  .  134 


I 


Ibn  Ezra,  .  145 

Ibn  Yachyah,  .  4 

Imam  Yaha .  238 

Imber,  Naphtali  Herz,  .  69 


Immigration  to  Palestine,  34,  35, 

140,  141,  142 

International  Health  Bureau,  ....  162 
International  Palestine  Society,  . .  xx 


Isaac  Elchanan,  Rabbi, . xlviii 

Island  of  Syra,  .  219 

Israel’s  Claim  on  Palestine,  ....  197 

Israel,  of  Sklov, .  142 

Ivanhoe,  .  xxvii 

Izzet  Pasha,  .  238 

J 

Jabne,  .  94,  104,  198 

Jacob  Berab, . 213 

Jacob,  Rabbi  of  Paris,  .  140 

Jaffa,  Ancient,  .  25 

“  Business  Centre  of,  .  35 

“  Climate  of,  .  38 

“  Exports  of,  .  37 

“  Gardens  of,  .  31 

“  Import  of,  .  37 

“  Landing  at,  .  37 

“  Mortality  of  .  33 

Jami  el-Kabir,  .  101 

Jamnia,  .  198 

Jarkon,  .  178 

Jassy,  .  xlix 

Jebel  el  Tur .  225 

Jebel  el-Akra, . 215 

Jericho,  .  223 

Jerusalem, . 113,  114,  125,  137 

“  Educational  Institutions,  . . .  151 

“  Hospitals  of,  .  160 

“  Industries  of,  .  150 

“  Jewish  receiving  Halukah,  . .  143 

“  Population  of,  .  140 

“  Sanitary  Condition  of,  _  159 

“  Suburbs  of,  .  138 

“  Topoggraphy  of,  .  137 

Jeshiba,  .  xxxiii 

Jewish  Agricultural  Experiment 

Station,  .  161,  222 

Jewish  Agriculturists,  .  45 

Jewish  Colonization 

Association,  ....  35,  50,  66,  96,  170 
Jewish  Education  in  Palestine,  . .  150 

Jewish  History,  .  xix 

Jewish  Music,  .  69 

Jewish  National  Fund, .  177,  239 

Jewish  State,  .  xxxvii,  213 

Joab,  .  J216 

Joffe,  Hillel,  .  186 


INDEX 


Johanan  ben  Zakkai,  .  198 

John,  of  Gischala,  .  xxxi 

Jonah,  .  27 

Jordan, . xxix,  229 

Jordan  Valley, .  223,  229 

Joseph,  .  14 

Joseph  ben  Adrath .  209 

Joseph  Nasi,  .  213 

Joseph,  Di  Naxos,  rebuilds 

Tiberias,  .  209 

Joseph,  Dhu  ' Novas,  .  70 

Joseph,  Karo,  .  208,  213 

Joseph,  Khagan .  203 

Joseph,  King  of  Khazars,  .  203 

Josephus,  (quoted)  .  26 

Joseph,  Zarphathi,  .  206 

Joshua,  the  Prince,  . 198 

Judah,  the  Prince,  .  199 

Judah,  the  Pious,  .  213 

Judaism,  .  xlii 

Judaeo,  Greek  dialect,  .  7 

Judean  Plateau,  .  69 

Judas  Macabeus,  .  105 

Judah  Halevy,  .  xxxi 


K 


Kaaba,  of  Mecca,  .  131 

Kabbalah,  (see  Cabbalah)  .  206 

Kahn,  Bernstein  tDr.,  .  169 

Kahn,  Zadoc,  .  xlvi,  91-42,  57 

Khedivian  Library,  .  11 

Kefr  Saba, . 177,-184 

Kakun,  Village  of,  .  184 

Koheleth,  (Publication  Society)  . .  37 
Kalischer,  R.  Hirsch,  xiv,  xv,  xvi, 

xlviii,  212,  213,  178 

Karaites,  (of  Cairo)  .  23 

Karaites,  (of  Jerusalem) .  .120,  126,  202 

Kasimiya  River,  .  214 

Katra,  .  77,  84,  85,  ‘  81 

Kattowitz  Conference,  . . .  xxiii,  xlviii 

Kaufman,  David,  .  xxx,  xxxiv 

Kehal  Istambul,  .  126 

Keneseth  Eliyahu,  .  13 

Kiryath  Sefer,  .  105 

Khaibar,  Jews  of,  . '202 

Khalid,  .  201 

Khan,  .  64,  65 

Khazars,  .  203 


251 


Koheleth  Jacob,  .  ’148 

Kolelim,  .  138,  142 

Koloniyeh,  .  212 

Koran,  .  11,  68 

Krochmal,  Nachman,  .  153 

Kubbet  esh  Shakhra, 

(see  Dome  of  the  Rock)  . 129 

Kuh,  Ephraim .  xxxv 

Kurlandsky,  Bezalel,  .  75 


L 


Lachman,  Emil,  .  180 

Ladino,  .  21,/ 139 

Laemel  School,  .  150 

Laemel,  Frau  Elise  von  Herz,  . . .  150 

Lake  of  .  Gailiee,  .  229 

Lake  of  Hulah,  .  229 

Lake  Mareotis,  .  10 

Lake  of  Tiberias,  .  231 

Land  of  Olives,  .  97 

Land  valuation,  .  175 

Languages  in  Palestine,  .  157 

Laodicea,  .  215 

Lartet,  .  218 

Lassale,  Ferdinand,  .  xiii 

Lattes,  M.  M.  Dr.,  .  9 

Laupu,  Samuel  M.,  .  39 

Lazarus,  Emma.,  .  xxxi 

Lebanon  Protectory,  .  215 

Lebensohn,  Adam  ha-Kohen,. ..  .xxxiv 

Lehensohn,  Micah  Joseph,  .  xxxiv,  153 

Leeser,  Isaac,  . xxii,  210 

Legal  Emancipation,  . . .  xxvii,  xxxviii 

Legends,  Jewish  and  Mohammedan  131 

Lehrer,  Reuben,  .  64 

Lemaan  Zion,  .  103 

Leon,  Benzion,  .  178 

Lepra  Hebraeorum,  .  232 

Leprosy,  (in  Palestine)  .  232 

Lessep  Di,  .  24 

Letteris,  Isaac,  .  153 

Levontin,  Hirsch,  .  54 

Levontin,  Solomon,  .  54 

Levin-Epstein,  W.  E .  75 

Levinson,  Isaac  Behr,  .  153 

Levy,  Dr.  I.,  .  162 

Lewanda,  Lev.,  .  xlviii 

Lewanda,  Library,  .  37 

Lex  Talionis,  .  91 


252 


INDEX 


Libraries  in  Palestine, .  155,  37 

Liebman,  .  54 

Lillien,  E.  M.,  .  149 

Lillienblum,  M.  L.,  ....  xl,  lxviii,  235 

Lippe,  Dr.  Nathan  P.,  . xlix 

Lithuaninan  Jews,  .  142 

Litany  River,  .  214 

Loeb,  Isidor,  .  57 

Lucius,  Quietus,  .  193 

Lud,  .  104 

Luncz,  A.  M., .  34,  161 

Luria,  Isaac,  .  208 

Luria,  Solomon,  .  213 

Luther,  Martin,  . xii 

Luzzatto,  S.  D.,  . xx,  153 

Lybian  Desert,  .  15 

Lydda,  .  99 

M 

Maccabees,  .  29,  105 

Maghrebin,  .  118 

Maimonides,  .  12,  20,  128,  215 

Malarial,  fever,  (in  Palestine), 

197,  179,  233 

Malkosh .  227 

Malta .  219 

Mandelstamm,  Dr.  Max,  .  xlviii 

Manneh,  H., . xlviii,  153 

Mappu,  Abraham,  . .  xxxiii,  xxxiv,  153 

Marah,  .  185,  195 

Marcelinus,  .  220 

Maryland,  .  214 

Marx,  Carl,  .  xii,  xvi 

Maskil,  Maskilim,  .  xl,  xlv 

Massachusetts,  .  214 

Mattathias,  .  106 

Mauss,  . 105  . 

Mawazan,  .  129 

Mazkereth  Bathyah,  .  90 

Mazkereth,  Moshe,  .  xxiii 

Mazkir,  .  52 

Meah  Shearim,  .  150 

Measles,  (in  Palestine)  .  234 

Mechanical  labor . 147 

Medras  Salomo,  .  132 

Meggido,  .  223 

Meir  Baal  Nes .  144 


Meir,  (Exilarch  of  Babylon)  ....  204 


Meir  of  Rothenberg,  .  206 

Memphis,  .  16 

Menasce,  Baron,  .  37 

Mendel,  Menaehem,  .  142 

Mendelowitz,  .  39 

Mendelssohn,  .  xxxvi 

Mendelssohnian  School,  .  xii 

Mendelssohn,  Banker,  . xiv 

Mendes,  Donna  Gracia,  .  209 

Menuchah  V’Nachlah,  . xlvii,  75 

Menvis,  .  18 

Meshulah, . xlv,  141,  145 

Messiah, . xv,  xxxii,  xiv 

Messianic  idea, . xvi 

Metrahenny,  .  17 

Midrash  Abarbanel,  .  157 

Midieh,  .  105' 

Midjal  Shadik,  .  173 

Mikveh  Israel,  .  39,  30 

Mirabel,  .  184 

Minkoff,  .  73 

Mishnah,  compilation  of .  199 

Mischo,  .  225 

Mizpah,  .  228 

Mizraim,  .  5 

Mizrachim,  .  36 

Moawiya,  .  202' 

Modin,  .  103 

Mei  Merom,  .  123 

Mo  jib  River  .  214 

Molcho,  Solomon,  .  208,  213 

Mohammed,  Ibrahim,  . .  20 

Mohammedanism,  .  201,  132,  133 

Mohammed  Ali, . xxxiii,  211 

Mohilever,  Rabbi  Samuel, 


xlvii,  xlviii,  xlv,  75,  57 
Montefiore,  Sir  Moses, 

xv,  xxii,  xxiii,  xlvi,  xxx,  78,  128,  211 

Montefiore  Federation,  .  xlviii 

Moses,  Alexander,  .  144 

Moses  Montefiore  Testimonial 

Committee  .  113 

Mordechai,  ben  Hillel  ha  Cohen,  xlviii 
Moser 'Jacob,  of  Bedford,  England  237 

Moshab,  Yehudim,  .  180 

Moslems,  burn  Synagogues  and 

schools,  .  114 

Mosque  of  Mohammed  Ali,  .  11 

Mosque  of  Omar,  . . .  122,  129,  130,  202 
Mossensohn,  Benzion,  .  237 


INDEX 


Mount  Ebal,  .  22S 

“  Moriah,  .  124,  128,  221 

“  Olivet,  .  228 

“  Scopa,  .  135 

“  Zion,  .  133 

Mountains  of  Ephraim,  . . .  102 

Mountains  of  Judea,  .  102 

Mourners  of  Zion,  .  127 

Mo  z  all .  212 

Munk,  Solomon . 22,  212 

Musolino,  Benedetto,  .  x\ 

Muezzin,  .  101,  125 

Mystics,  School  of,  .  296 

N 

Nachlath  Reuben,  .  65 

Nachmanides, .  144,  213 

Nadib  Hayodua,  .  57 

Nahl  Jarkon,  .  168 

Nahr  Mefdsir .  189 

Nahr,  Es-zerka .  192 

Naioth,  .  183 

Nadjara,  .  20S 

Naples,  .  3 

Napoleon  the  Great,  . 30,  135 

Nordau,  Max,  .  213 

Nationalism,  .  xii 

Nawratzky,  .  215 

Nazereth,  .  212 

Nebei  Zedek,  .  35 

Nega  Zaraath,  (in  Palestine)  ....  232 

Nehemiali,  .  xxxi,  xli 

Nelson,  General,  .  10 

Nero,  .  104 

Ness  Ziyonah,  .  62 

Netter,  Charles, .  42,  237 

New  Hampshire,  .  215 

Nezly,  .  184 

Nissenbaum,  (quoted)  .  xlviii 

Nicholas  I.,  .  119 

Nile,  .  10 

Nilometer,  .  12 

North  American  Relief  Society,  . .  138 

Noph,  .  17 

No  Amon,  .  5 

Noah,  Mordecai  Manuel,  ....  xxi,  xxvj 


253 

O 


Obelisks,  .  13 

Odessa  Committee,  .  xlyiii,  35 

Oliphant,  Sir  Lawrence, 

xxix,  xxxvi,  88,  179,  211,  239 

Omar,  Caliph,  .  130,  201,  202 

Olive  wood  products,  .  99-100 

Omlebbis,  .  178 

On,  .  14  . 

Onias,  .  18 

Orange  groves,  .  171 

Oriental  dress,  .  6 

Orontes,  .  215 

Osher .  52,  83 

Osiris,  .  7 

Osman  Pasha,  .  88 

Osavesky,  Joshua,  .  59 

P 

Palestine,  historical  significance,  ..35 

“  Exploration  Fund,  .  48,  115 

“  Home  of  Wheat,  .  S2 

“  House  of  Refuge  for  Jews,  xxxv 
“  in  the  time  of  Crusaders,..-..  224 

“  a  moral  centre,  . xlii 

“  products  of,  .  222 

“  Prima .  213 

“  Secunda,  .  216 

“  Tertia,  .  216 

Palestinian  Arabs, 

(descendants  of,) .  46 

Palmyra,  .  118 

Papyrus  Reeds .  184 

Pardes  Hamoshaba,  .  49 

Paris  Central  Committee 

of  Hohebei  Zion,  .  xxxii 

Philistines,  .  S3,  183 

Philo,  Judeus,  .  8 

Phoenicia,  .  29,  183 

Phineas  Elijah,  ben  Meir 

of  Wilna . xxxiii 

Persian  Invasion  of  Palestine,  . . .  201 

Perushim,  .  142 

Petach  Tikvah,  ....  xlvii,  166,  1.69,  180 

Petrie,  Flinders  Prof .  .  18 

Petachyah,  of  Regensburg.  .  . .  205,  121 

Pines  Y.  M .  85,  108,  154,  180 

Pinneles,  .  xlix 

Pinsker,  L.  Dr.,  xxxvii,  xxxix.  60,  213 

Pioneer  work  in  Palestine,  .  50 


254 


INDEX 


Pkiin,  .  210 

Plato,  .  14 

Platonic  philosophy,  .  8 

Pleurisy,  (in  Palestine)  .  230 

Pliny . 27 

Pompey,  .  29 

Pompey’s  pillars,  .  6 

Population  of  Jaffa,  .  34 

“  of  Hedcra,  .  1S9 

“  of  Jerusalem,  .  140 

“  Petach  Tikvah,  .  175 

“  of  Rechoboth,  .  74,  76 

“  of  Rishon .  54 

“  of  Vaad  el  Hanim,  .  67 

“  of  Zichron  Jacob,  .  194 

Population  p  t  square  mile,  ..216-217 

Post.  G.  C„  .  227 

Possibilities  of  Palestine,  .  214 

Powel,  C.  H.,  .  232 

Pneumonia,  (in  Palestine)  .  224 

Provincia  Arabia,  .  216 

Proudhon,  Pierre  Joseph .  xvi 

Ptah .  17 

Ptolemy,  Philadelphia,  .  8 

Ptolemy,  PhPometer, .  18 

Pyramid  of  Cheops,  .  15 

“  of  Ghizeh,  .  15 

“  of  Sakharah,  .  16 

R 

Rabinowitz,  S.  P.,  .  xlviii,  240 

Radom,  .  xlvi 

Rainfall  in  Palestine,  .  223,  227 

Rainy  Season,  .  223 

Ramadan .  129 

Rambam .  12 

Rameses .  17 

Ramleh,  .  100,  103 

Rapaport,  .  153 

Raphael  Aaron,  ben  Simon,  .  22 

Rashi .  145 

Ratti.  Menton .  xiv 

Rebecca,  .  xxvii 

Reaper .  77 

Rechoboth, . xlvii,  75,  76.  69,  238 

Reformation .  xii 

Reifman,  Jacob .  157 

Reisman,  .  86 

Renaissance,  Jewish,  .  xi 


Reshef .  1S4 

Reubeni,  David,  .  20 

Revolution  in  Egypt,  .  238 

Revolution  in  Rishon,  .  50,  51 

Rheumatism,  (in  Palestine)  .  234 

Rhodes,  Island  of,  .  12 

Richard,  I.,  .  204 

Richard  King  of  England,  .  240 

Richard,  Coeur  de  Lion,  .  184 

Rishon  l’Zion,  see  Ajun  Kara,  .  .xvi,  95 

Ritual  Changes,  .  xiii 

Ritual  Murder,  .  xiv 

Roman  Roads,  .  78 

Roads  of  Palestine,  .  78 

Rome,  .  117 

Rome  and  Jerusalem . xvi,  xvii 

Rosaries,  trade  in  Palestine,  . . .  125 

Rosenberg,  Adam,  (quoted)  . 240 

Rosenfeld,  Morris,  (quoted)  .  2 

Rosenoy .  xlvi 

Rosli  ha  Vaad,  .  52 

Rothschild,  Baron  Edmond, 

xv,  xlvi,  17,  50,  94 

Rothschild,  Asher  Mayer,  .  xiv 

Rothschild,  Evelyn  de  (School)...  151 

Rubin,  Brook  of .  97 

Ruelf,  Dr.  Isaac,  .  xlix 

Ruis  El  Yehud,  .  94 

Russian-Turkish  War,  .  178 

Russian  Rabbinate,  .  xlvi 


S 


Saadia . 

Saarayim . 

Saba  Ivefr . 

Sabbatical  Year,  .  . 

.  95,  179 

Sabbatai,  Zebi,  .  .  .  . 

.  213 

Seawulf . 

Sated . 

Sad  jar  el-Yehud,  .  .  . 

.  39 

Said  Tohid . 

.  12 

Saint  George . 

.  105 

Saint  Peter . 

.  126 

Saladin . 

.  33,  103.  184.  204 

Salisbury  Lord.  .  .  . 

.  xxx,  211 

Solomon.  Joel  M.,  . 

.  178 

Salvador,  Joseph.  .  . 

.  xxi 

Solomon,  Alkabez.  . 

. .  208 

Samaritan,  . 

.  202 

INDEX 


Sam  bra,  .  TO 

Samson,  .  45,  97,  165 

Samuel  ben  David,  .  21 

Samuei,  Usuque,  .  203 

Sanhedrin,  .  8 

Saracens,  .  30 

Sarcophagi,  .  47 

Sharon,  .  xxxiii,  47 

Schatz,  Boris .  120,  113,  123 

Schechter,  Solomon,  .  13 

Schloesinger,  .  xiii,  36 

Schools  of  Ekron,  .  83 

“  Jerusalem .  197 

“  Jaffa,  .  239 

“  Nes  Zionah,  .  64 

“  Rechoboth,  .  75 

“  Rishon,  .  49 

Scott,  Sir  Walter, . xxvii 

Scrofulous  children, 

(in  Palestine,)  .  ....  290 

Schwartz,  Joseph,  .  215 

Shomerim,  .  71 

Schulman,  Kalman,  .  xxxiv 

Seasons  of  the  Year,  .  77 

Sed-ad,  Daulah,  .  206 

Sedgerah,  .  171 

Selim  Caliph,  .  205 


Semka,  a  railroad  station  on  the 

Genasereth,  .  231 


Semitic  Costume, 


91 


Senn,  Nicholas,  Dr.,  .  232 

Sephardim  of  Jerusalem .  13!) 

Sephardic  Community  of  Cairo,  . .  24 
Severus,  Septimus,  .  104-112-199 


Sepphoris, 


44 


Shaarei  Zedek  Hospital,  .  . 

Shaffa  Amr,  . 

Shaftesbury,  Earl  of . 

Shapiro,  Abraham,  . 

Shapiro,  Herman,  . 

Sharon,  . 

Sharona . 

Sheba  Tubei  Ha-ir . 

Shemittah, . 

Sheikh  Daher,  of  Tiberias, 


160 

210 


173 


.  157 

19,  32,  182 
.  .  33,  166 

.  52 

.  .  xlvii,  96 
.  210 


tt  * 

2d» 


Scheinkin,  M.  M.,  .  236 

Senachereb . 

Shephelah . 48,  110 

Shepheyah,  .  195 

Shertzer  Hayim,  .  136 

Shub,  .  1S5 

Shukra,  . .  54 

Sidon,  .  29 


Sigurd,  the  Crusader, 

King  of  Norway,  .  28 

Simon,  The  Tanner,  .  30 

Sirkin,  Joshuah,  .  151 

Smallpox  in  Palestine .  234 

Smerling,  H.,  .  136,  35 


Smith,  Adam,  ( quoted)  ....  226,  220 


Smolenskin,  Perez,  (quoted) 

xi,  xxxv,  xxxvi,  xxxiv,  218 

Sanaa,  .  70 

Social  Emancipation, .  xxxviii 

Society  of  Jewish  Physicians,  ....  161 
Society,  Tifereth  Jerusalem,  ....  157 

Socin,  .  216 

Sofer,  R.  Moses,  .  xxxv 

Solinus,  .  21,  27 

Solomon  elm  Abd  el-Melek,  .  100 

Spain,  Jews  expelled  from,  .  207 

Spiritual  Zionism,  .  xli 

Sphinx,  .  16 

Stoics,  .  8 

Strabo,  .  11,  94,  224 

Streimel,  origin  of  .  119 

Streets  in  old  Jerusalem . 116-117 

Straus,  Nathan  (Bureau)  .  161 

Suleiman,  Sultan  of  Turkey,  122,  209 

Suleiman,  the  Magnificent,  .  205 

Summer  retreats,  in  Palestine  .  .  230 

Sura,  .  97 

Surafend .  67 

Switzerland .  216 

Sycamore  tree,  .  55 

Synagogue,  Sephardic, . 126 

“  Ashkenazic .  123 

“  of  Ekron,  .  83 

“  of  Rishon,  .  52 

“  of  Zichron,  .  185 

Syria,  .  xW 

Syrian-Arabic  desert, .  215 

Syrian  Palestine  Colonization 

Society, . xx 


m 


INDEX 


T 


Tabor,  .  225-228 

Tachkemoni,  (High  School  in  Jaffa,  36 

Tacitus,  .  220 

Tal,  .  223 

Talmud,  .  8 

Talmud  Torah,  .  151,  176 

Tancred,  .  xxv,  124 

Tantura,  .  195 

Tarsi,  Simon,  .  105 

Tasso,  (quoted)  .  113 

Taylor-Schechtor  Collection,  13 

Teachers’  Seminary, .  151 

Teachers’  Union,  .  37 

Teachers’  School  of  Haifa,  .  239 

Tel  Abib,  .  35,  36,  166 

“  Ashur,  .  228 

“  A1  Jazar,  .  164 

“  El  Kabir,  .  23S 

“  El  Yehudiyah,  .  18 

Temperature  of  Palestine,  .  .  .  227,  229 
Temple  Society  of  Wuertemberg.  .  166 

Templars,  .  167 

Temple,  of  Hadrian,  . 30 

“  of  Onias,  .  18 

“  of  Solomon,  .  129 

“  of  Serapis,  . .  IS 

“  of  Venus,  .  18 

Tenneriffe  Island,  .  150 

Tents  Eeduin,  .  188 

Terebinth  tree,  .  48 

Theremuthis,  .  12 

Thomas,  Father,  .  xiv 

Thotmes,  .  Ill,  16 

Thutmosis, . Ill,  29 

Tiberias,  .  229,  231 

Timnah,  .  110 

Titus,  .  219 

Tomb  of  Jehoshaphat,  .  135 

Tombs  of  the  Kings,  .  133 

Tomb  of  Zacharias,  .  135 

Touro  Judah,  . \  137 

Tower  of  David,  .  121 

Tower  of  Hippicus,  .  124 

Trachoma,  (in  Palestine)  .  233 

Trani,  Moses  Rabbi,  .  210 

Trans-Jordanic  Plateau,  .  223 

Trietsch,  David .  34,  215 

Tuck,  Sir  Adolph,  .  23/ 


Tuberculosis,  Pulmonary,  (in 


Palestine),  .  237 

Tul  Kerem .  184 

Turkey,  opens  the  door  for 

Jewish  refugees,  .  208 

Twin  Colony,  .  62 

Typhus  fever,  (in  Palestine)  .  .  233 

Tyropean  Valley,  .  122 

Tyre,  .  18 

U 

University,  a  Hebrew,  .  152 

United  States  Agricultural  Bureau  221 

Urwath  Shlomo,  .  132 

Usha,  . . .  144,  198 

V 

Vaad  Haloshon,  .  154 

Vaad  Haluzei  Yesod  Hamalali,  . .  236 

Vaad  Hamoshaba,  .  52 

Vaad  Hamorim,  . 155 

Vadi  Chuzza,  .  217 

“  el  Akabba,  . .  215 

“  el  Hanim,  .  62,  66,  S7 

“  el  Khudeira,  .  . . .  190 

“  es  Surar  .  94 

“  es  Sumt,  .  84 

Vale  of  Sorek,  .  97 

Valley  of  Hinnom .  137 

“  of  Jehoshaphat,  135,  137,  136,  128 

“  of  Ki dron,  .  185 

“  of  Rephaim,  .  137 

“  of  Tyropean,  .  122 

Vespasian, . 30,  219 

Veneziani,  Monsieur,  .  58 

Vereinigten  Alten  Haus,  .  161 

Voltera,  .  20 

Vodner,  Moses,  ...  .  . . 139 


W 

Wailing  Wall,  .  115 

Wall  of  Tears,  .  118 

Warner,  Charles  Dudley-  (quoted)  32 
Warren,  Sir  Charles, 

(quoted),  .  xxix,  115,  48 

Weli  Iman  Ali,  .  47 


in  mix 


25? 


Well  ot‘  Benjamin,  .  S6 


Wesseley,  N.  H.,  .  xxxiii,  153 

Western  Wall,  .  122 

Wilkansky, . 99 

Wilson,  .  21S 

Wilna  Conference .  xlvii 

Wine  Cellar,  .  50,  193 

Winter,  Palestinian,  .  228 

Wisotzky,  K.  W .  xlviii 

Wolfson,  David,  .  146,  177,  52 

Wolfson,  Fannie,  .  177,  53 

Wolney .  224 

Y 

Yaar,  .  219 

Yalta,  .  65 

Yalubsky,  Abraham,  .  65 


Yalubsky,  Goldie,  . . 65 

Yam  Hagadol,  .  5 

Yarmuk,  .  201 

Yazor,  Village,  .  42,  47 

Yecbiel  of  Paris,  .  140,  213 

Yehuda  Halevi,  .  213 

Yemen,  .  238 

Yemenite  Jews,  Tradition  of . 70,  69 

Yoreh,  . 77,  227 

Z 

Zamarin,  see  Zichron  Jacob, 

Zemel,  of  Berlin,  .  59 

Zichron,  Jaaeob,  .  182,  186,  194 

Zlocisti .  xvi 

Zumoffen .  218 

Zion  Congress,  Program  of,  . 1 

Zion  Songs,  .  xxxiv 

Zion  gate,  . 133 


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